Robin Hood, bright carmine, beautifully globular, and a rampant grower.
William Griffith, satiny rose, distinct color, a large bold petaled flower, quite new, and will rank amongst the best.
William Jesse, a favorite variety of a rosy crimson color, edged with lilac, very large, full, and constant.
Yolande d’Arragon, pale rose, producing its flowers in clusters the whole season, a strong grower. Sydonie, a newer variety, is very like this, and I am doubtful if it is any improvement upon it, unless to a very critical observer.
I have not seen a clear good white as yet in this group. Florists and catalogues tell us of Blanche Vibert—white it is, but a sickly looking flower and plant, at the best. Blanche Portemer has nothing more attractive about it. A good white such as the old Madam Hardy is much wanted, it would be a treasure. There are over 100 of these Hybrid Perpetual varieties cultivated, one half of them are nearly facsimiles of each other. They all require more stimulation in their culture than any other roses; if a strong luxuriant growth is not produced a very meagre show will follow; dark rich green foliage and strong shoots will produce a corresponding bloom—but yellow foliage and weak growth produces similar sickly blooms, deficient in color, size, and fragrance. Also, observe that taking off one half of the buds in May and June, is beneficial to a continuance of bloom during the season; in dry weather they should be liberally supplied with rich water or soap suds, or if the ground has been abundantly manured, water of any description will suit; observing that one copious supply once a week is better than a small portion every day.
Noisette Roses are those clustering sorts that bloom from early in the season till destroyed by frost; their flowers are generally small, though there are now some of them nearly as large as any others, but the size takes from their profusion. The growth of the family is of all grades, from 1 foot to 20 feet in a season; unfortunately for us, however, the finer kinds are rather tender, being nearly or entirely killed in our severe winters. Those tender kinds of greatest splendor are Lamarque, Cloth of Gold, Solfatare, La Victorieuse. These are hybridised with the Tea Rose, making them more tender; but for milder climates than Philadelphia the splendor of them equals any description. A friend writes me from Texas, that Cloth of Gold reaches the 3d story, and is in bloom 9 months of the year, and its odor equal to the magnolia. In pruning Noisette Roses, thin out the old wood, and shorten the wood of the previous season. The young wood should always be allowed to have its full growth, as it is most frequently terminated with a cluster of flowers; the sorts without encroaching upon their beauties might be curtailed to one full dozen, which would comprise as follows:
Aimie Vibert, pure white, very compact, a dwarf grower.
Cloth of Gold, a very luxuriant grower, requiring dry rich soil; flowers quite large, frequently 5 inches in diameter, opening a bright lemon yellow, and fading to a pale straw color; should be protected by covering in winter.
Desprez or Jaune Desprez, flowers buff color shaded with pink, in profuse clusters, very fragrant, plant vigorous.
Fellenberg, color pink, red, or crimson as the season may be; a constant bloomer—does very well for a piazza or pillar, quite hardy.