appear to be very little known in England. But they are well worth growing, especially in cold and exposed places, as they are thoroughly frost-proof. The blossoms are large, very full, and mostly flat in form. Decoration de Geschwind, rich purple-pink with white edges, is a handsome and effective flower. So are Gilda, wine colour, shaded with violet, and Château Luegg, deep carmine pink. To what family they are allied I do not know. They were raised by Geschwind about 1886. I got them from M. Bernaix of Lyons, and am greatly pleased with them.
Hybrids of China, Bourbon, and Noisette Roses.
This very beautiful class of summer-flowering climbing or pillar roses, is too often neglected in these days. They are the result of crosses between the Gallica, Centifolia, and Damask roses, and the China, Noisette and Bourbon. For size, form and colour, many of these roses are still unexcelled. And one regrets they are not more generally grown.
Whether the seed parent is the perpetual China, Bourbon, or Noisette, and the pollen parent the French or Provençe rose, or vice versâ, the result is that, though it grows vigorously, the hybrid does not flower in the autumn—with the one exception, the beautiful Gloire de Rosamènes. One of the grandest of this class is Blairii No. 2 (Blair 1845), blush with rose centre, a very vigorous climber: but it should be remembered that if pruned it will not flower. This is also the case with the fine crimson Brennus or Brutus. Coupe d'Hébé and Chenédolé are both good roses; while Charles Lawson for a brilliant crimson pillar rose, and the pure white Madame Plantier for bush or pillar, are not easily surpassed, as their flowers are borne in immense quantities. That very brilliant and effective single rose, Paul's Carmine Pillar, is also a hybrid; but its exact parentage is not known. Messrs. Paul & Son, of Cheshunt, write to me: "We believe it to be, as far as we can recollect, a hybrid with Boursault blood." This would explain its coming into flower so early.
The Climbing Multiflora or Polyantha Roses,
and their hybrids, commonly known as "Rambler roses," have developed of late years in such amazing numbers, that it is a work of some difficulty to keep pace with the new varieties which appear each season. The original Multiflora, known also as Polyantha simplex, was introduced from Japan in 1781 by Thunberg. It is a very vigorous climber with large bunches of small, single white flowers. From this type rose, which seeds very freely, numbers of hybrids were raised in Italy early in the nineteenth century, by crossings with other richly coloured roses. One of the earliest of these hybrids which still remains is Laure Davoust, with small and very double flowers—pink changing to blush. Grevillia or the Seven Sisters is another, its flowers changing from crimson to purplish rose, and then to pale rose. This produces a most quaint effect, as we have flowers of three colours on the plant at once. De la Grifferaie, 1845, is also deep rose, changing to blush.
Climbing Polyantha.
BLUSH RAMBLER.
