ROSE G. KINGSLEY
OFFICIER DE L'INSTRUCTION PUBLIQUE
AUTHOR OF "EVERSLEY GARDENS," ETC., ETC.
WITH A CHAPTER ON "HOW TO GROW ROSES FOR
EXHIBITION," BY THE REV. F. PAGE-ROBERTS,
VICE-PRESIDENT NATIONAL ROSE
SOCIETY, F.R.H.S.
WITH TWENTY-EIGHT FULL-PAGE COLOURED, AND NINE
HALF-TONE, ILLUSTRATIONS AND DIAGRAMS
WHITTAKER & CO.
2 WHITE HART STREET, PATERNOSTER SQUARE, LONDON, E.C.
AND 64-66 FIFTH AVENUE, NEW YORK
Richard Clay & Sons, Limited,
BREAD STREET HILL, E.C., AND
BUNGAY, SUFFOLK.
PREFACE
Some time ago it was suggested, by certain rose-lovers and enthusiasts, that the practical experience of an amateur, brought up from childhood to love and cultivate roses, might be of use to other owners of small gardens, who, like herself, tend their roses themselves. And in the hope that this might be the case, I undertook to write this little book. My text-book in this labour of love has been an old copy, which belonged to my father when he settled at Eversley in 1844, of The Rose Amateur's Guide, by that veteran rose-grower, the late Thomas Rivers. I am also greatly indebted to the Rev. J. H. Pemberton's learned and admirable work, Roses, their History, Development, and Cultivation, published early this year; and to the various publications of the National Rose Society.
As one branch, however, of the cultivation of roses is a sealed book to me, for I am only an amateur who does not exhibit, I felt that no work on rose-growing would be complete without a chapter which should help those who wish to do so. And here I was indeed fortunate in obtaining the help of so distinguished an authority as my friend and neighbour, Rev. F. Page-Roberts, Vice-President of the National Rose Society. My grateful thanks are due to him for the delightful chapter, the last in the book, on "How to grow Roses for Exhibition." And I feel that to have his name on the title-page is an honour of which I cannot be too proud.