THE ROSES of which we have hitherto spoken have but one period of bloom in the year. June is gay with their flowers; but at midsummer their glory is departed, not again to return till a winter of rest has intervened. Various families of roses have, however, the faculty of continuous or repeated blooming. Some remain in bloom with little interruption for a long time; while others bloom at intervals, after periods of rest. These classes are known, with little discrimination, as "Autumnal Roses," "Ever-blooming Roses," or "Perpetual Roses." The French have a name for those blooming at intervals, which is very appropriate. They call them "Remontant Roses,"—Rosiers Remontants,—in other words, roses which grow again. This very well describes them. They make a growth in spring and early summer, and the young wood thus produced bears a crop of flowers. Then the plant rests for a while; but soon begins another growth, which, in turn, bears flowers, though less abundantly than before. The June, or once blooming roses, it is true, make also a first and second growth; but, with them, the second growth gives leaves alone. In the true ever-blooming roses, or roses that bloom continuously, the growth of young wood capable of bearing flowers is going on with little interruption during the whole period when the vital powers of the plant are awake. It is to stimulate the production of this blooming wood that we prune back the shoots that have already bloomed, as soon as the flowers have faded.

It is the possession of a great variety of roses of repeated or continuous bloom that gives to the rose-lovers of our own day their greatest advantage over those of former times. Our forefathers had but very few autumnal roses. The ancient Romans, it seems, had roses in abundance in November and December; but this must have been with the aid of a supreme skill in cultivation, as there is no reason to believe that they were in possession of those Chinese and Indian species, to which the modern florist is indebted, directly or indirectly, for nearly all his autumnal flowers. As these species are by far the most important of the ever-blooming and remontant families, both in themselves and in the numberless progeny of hybrids to whom they have transmitted their qualities, we place them first on our list.

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Rosa Indica.—Rosa Semperflorens.—We include under the head of the Chinese Rose two botanical species, because they are so much alike, that, for floral purposes, it is not worth while to separate them, and because their respective offspring are often wholly undistinguishable. The most marked distinction between the two is the greater depth and vividness of the color of Rosa Semperflorens; though, by a singular freak of Nature, seedlings perfectly white are said to have been produced from it.

China roses will not endure our winters without very careful protection; yet they bloom so constantly and so abundantly, that they are very desirable in a garden. In large English pleasure-grounds, they are sometimes planted in masses, each of a distinct color. They may also be so used here by those who will take the trouble to remove them from the ground in the autumn, and place them in a frame for protection. For this purpose, a hotbed frame may be used, substantially made of plank. It should be placed in a situation where the soil is thoroughly drained either by Nature or Art. The roses are to be placed in it close together, and overlapping each other, to save room; the roots being well covered with soil, and the plants laid in a sloping position. By covering them with boards and mats, they will then be safe from every thing but mice. The most effectual way to defeat the mischievous designs of these pestiferous vermin is to cover, not the roots only, but the entire plants, with earth. The covering of boards and mats must be so placed as to exclude water from rain and melting snow. Tea roses, of which we shall speak under the next head, are, as a class, more tender than the Chinas; and, in order to preserve them, the soil in the frame should be dug out to the depth of a foot, the roses laid at the bottom, and wholly covered with earth somewhat dry. On this earth, after the roses are buried, place a covering of dry leaves some six inches deep, and then cover the whole with waterproof boards or sashes. The leaves alone, if in sufficient quantity, would protect the roses from cold, but, at the same time, afford a tempting harborage for mice, which would destroy the plants, unless buried out of their reach. Thus treated, the tenderest Tea roses will bear the winter with impunity in the coldest parts of New England.

Though China roses are not equal in beauty to some of their hybrid offspring to be hereafter described, they surpass all other roses for pot-culture in the window of the parlor or drawing-room. They are more easily managed than Tea roses, and, though less fragrant, are not less abundant in bloom. No roses are of easier culture in the greenhouse. The varieties of this group are the Bengal roses of the French, and are those familiarly known among us as Monthly roses. They were introduced into England from the East about the beginning of the last century.

Carmin d'YÈeles, or Carmin Superbe, has bright carmine flowers. Cramoisie SupÉrieure has double crimson flowers, and, like the former, is excellent for pot-culture. EugÈne Beauharnais is large, very double, and of a bright amaranth-color, approaching crimson. Fabvier is of crimson scarlet, very vivid and striking. President d'Olbeque is of a cherry-red.

All of the above belong to the Semperflorens species, and are of deep colors. The following are varieties of Rosa Indica. Archduke Charles is of a bright rose-color, gradually deepening as the flower grows older, till it becomes, at times, almost crimson. Cels Multiflora is white, shaded with pink, and flowers very freely. Madame BrÉon is of a rich rose-color, very large, double, and compact in form. Clara Sylvain is pure white. Madame Bureau is white, with a faint tinge of straw-color. Mrs. Bosanquet may be placed in this division; for, though it is certainly a hybrid, the blood of the China Rose predominates in it, and characterizes it. It is of a pale, waxy, flesh color, very delicate and beautiful, at the same time large and double. NapolÉon is of a bright pink, and the Duchess of Kent is white.

The Dwarf roses, called Lawrenceanas, or Fairy roses, are varieties of the Chinese. They are very small, many of them not exceeding a foot in height, and are used as edging for flower-beds in countries of which the climate is not too severe for them. Like all other China roses, they are very easily grown in pots.

"China roses are better adapted than almost any other class for forming groups of separate colors. Thus, for beds of white roses,—which, let it be remembered, will bloom constantly from June till October,—Clara Sylvain and Madame Bureau are beautiful. The former is the taller grower, and should be planted in the centre of the bed. For crimson, take Cramoisie SupÉrieure,—no other variety approaches this in its peculiar richness of color; for scarlet, Fabvier; for red, Prince Charles and Carmin Superbe; for deep crimson, Eugene Beauhamais; for blush, Mrs. Bosanquet; for a variegated group, changeable as the chameleon, take Archduke Charles and Virginie; for rose, Madame BrÉon. I picture to myself the above on a well-kept lawn, their branches pegged to the ground so as to cover the entire surface; and can scarcely imagine any thing more chaste and beautiful.

"To succeed in making these roses bear and ripen their seed in England, a warm, dry soil and south wall are necessary; or, if the plants can be trained to a fined wall, success will be more certain. EugÈne Beauharnais, fertilized with Fabvier, would probably produce first-rate brilliant-colored flowers. Archduke Charles, by removing a few of the small central petals, just before their flowers are expanded, and fertilizing it with pollen from Fabvier or Henry the Fifth, would give seed; and as the object ought to be, in this family, to have large flowers with brilliant colors, and plants of hardy, robust habits, no better union can be formed. China roses, if blooming in an airy greenhouse, will often produce fine seed: by fertilizing their flowers, it may probably be insured. In addition, therefore, to those planted against a wall, some strong plants of the above varieties should be planted in the orchard-house,—the place, above all others, adapted for seed-bearing roses."—Rivers.

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Rosa Indica Odorata.—This is a Chinese species, closely allied to the last named, but more beautiful, far more fragrant, and usually more tender. The two original varieties of it, the Blush Tea and the Yellow Tea, were introduced into England early in the "present century; and between them they have produced a numerous family, than which no roses are more beautiful.

To grow them in the open air, they require,'in the first place, a very thorough drainage. If the situation is at all damp, the bed should be raised some six inches above the surrounding surface; but this will be rarely necessary in our climate. If it rests on a good natural stratum of gravel, this will be drainage sufficient; but, if not, the whole bed should be excavated, and underlaid to the depth of four or five inches with broken stones, broken bricks, or with what is much better than either,—oyster-shells. Over these, sift coarse gravel to prevent the soil from working into their crevices, and on the gravel make a bed somewhat more than a foot deep of good loam, mixed with a nearly equal quantity of light, well-rotted manure, adding sand if the texture of the loam requires it. The bed should be in an open, sunny situation, and sheltered, as far as may be, from strong winds. The Tea roses planted in it—unless they have been exhausted by forcing in the greenhouse—will give a liberal supply of bloom until checked by the autumn frosts.

Many of these roses can be grown to great advantage in a cold grapery, in a bed suitably prepared. They differ greatly in hardiness, and in respect to ease of culture. Some are so vigorous as to form greenhouse climbers, and so hardy as to bear a Northern winter by being simply laid down, and covered with earth, like a raspberry. Of these is Gloire de Dijon, a rose of most vigorous growth, and closely resembling in the shape of its blossoms that matchless Bourbon Rose, the well-known Souvenir de la Malmaison. Its color, however, is very different, being a mixture of buff and salmon. It has one defect,—a crumpled appearance of the central leaves, which gives them a somewhat withered look, even when just open. Five or six large plants of this variety are growing here with the utmost luxuriance on the rafters of a glass house, without fire. In winter they are protected by meadow-hay thrust between them and the glass, and have never been injured by the frost.

For preserving a small number of Tea roses through the winter, an ordinary cellar answers perfectly, provided there is no furnace in it. They may either be potted or "heeled" in earth in a box. A few degrees of frost will not hurt them. Roses and all other plants will bear the same degree of cold much better in a close, still air than in the open sunlight and wind.

The prevailing colors of Tea roses are light and delicate: of the rose-colored varieties, Adam is one of the finest, as is also Souvenir d'un Ami. Moiret is of a pale yellow, shaded with fawn and rose. Bougere is of a deep rosy bronze, large and double. SilÈne resembles it in color, and is very much admired. Canary is of the color which its name indicates, and its buds are extremely beautiful. Yet, in this respect, no variety can exceed the Old Yellow Tea, which is, however, one of the most tender and difficult of culture in the whole group. Devoniensis is very large, double, and of a pale clear yellow; a very fine rose, but shy of bloom. Gloire de Dijon, already mentioned, is a superb rose, though somewhat wanting in that grace and delicacy, which, in general, characterize this class. Madame Bravy is of a creamy white, and very beautifully formed. Madame Damaizin is salmon, and very free in bloom. Madame William is of a bright yellow, large, and very double. Niphetos is of a pale lemon, turning to snow-white. Safeano is one of the most distinct and remarkable roses in the group. It is of a buff and apricot hue, altogether peculiar. Its buds are beautifully formed; as are also its half-opened flowers, though they are not very double. It is a very profuse bloomer, easy of culture, free of growth, and hardy as compared with most other Tea roses.

"With attention, some very beautiful roses of this family may be originated from seed; but the plants must be trained against a south wall, in a warm, dry soil, or grown in pots, under glass. A warm greenhouse or the orchard-house will be most proper for them, so that they bloom in May, as their hips are a long time ripening.

"For yellow roses, Vicomtesse Decazes may be planted with and fertilized by Canary, which abounds in pollen: some fine roses, almost to a certainty, must be raised from seed produced by such a union. For the sake of curiosity, a few flowers of the latter might be fertilized with the Double Yellow Brier, or Rosa Harrison. The Old Yellow Tea Rose bears seed abundantly; but it has been found from repeated experiments that a good or even a mediocre rose is seldom or never produced from it: but, fertilized with the Yellow Brier, something original may be realized. Souvenir d'un Ami and Adam would produce seed of fine quality, from which large and bright rose-colored varieties might be expected; Niphetos would give pure white Tea roses; and Gloire de Dijon, fertilized with Safrano, would probably originate first-rate fawn-colored roses: but the central petals of the latter should be carefully removed with tweezers or pliers, as its flowers are too double for it to be a certain seed-bearer."—Rivers.

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Rosa Moschata.—This rose is a native of Asia, Northern Africa, and adjacent islands. In Persia it is said to reach a prodigious size, resembling some gorgeous flowering tree. It is said, too, that it is the favorite rose of the Persian poets, who celebrated its loves with the nightingale in strains echoed by their English imitators. Being very vigorous, it is best grown as a climber; but, with us, it requires the shelter of glass. It flowers in large clusters late in summer, and in a warm, moist air, exhales a faint odor of musk.

The Double White Musk has yellowish white flowers of moderate size. Eponine has pure white flowers, very double. The New Double White, or Ranunculus Musk, is an improvement on the Double White, which it much resembles. Nivea, or the Snowy Musk, can hardly be said to belong to the group, as it blooms only once in the year. Ophir, Princess of Nassau, and Rivers, are also good examples of this family.

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Rosa Moschata Hybrida.—Having treated of the China, Tea, and Musk roses, we now come to the hybrid offspring which they have jointly produced. In 1817, M. Noisette, a French florist at Charleston, S.C., raised a seedling from the Musk Rose, impregnated with the pollen of the' common China Rose. The seedling was different from either parent, but had the vigorous growth of the Musk Rose, together with its property of blooming in clusters, and a slight trace of its peculiar fragrance. This was the original Noisette Rose, and it has been the parent of a numerous family; but as it has, in turn, been fertilized with the pollen of the Tea, and perhaps of other roses, many of its descendants have lost its peculiar characteristics, so that in some cases they cannot be distinguished from Tea roses. It is thus that confusion is constantly arising in all the families of the rose; the groups becoming merged in each other by insensible gradations, so that it is impossible to fix any clear line of demarcation between them.

The distinctive characteristic of the true Noisette is blooming in clusters. Different varieties have different habits of growth, some being much more vigorous than others; but the greater part are true climbing roses. Those in which the blood of the Musk and China predominate are comparatively hardy. Many of them can be grown as bushes in the open air, with very little winter protection, even in the latitude of Boston. Two varieties—Madame Massot and Caroline Marniesse—are today (Oct. 16) in full bloom here, where they have stood for several years, with very little precaution to shelter them. Some other varieties, again, strongly impregnated with the Tea Rose, are quite as tender as Tea roses of the pure race.

As rafter-roses in the greenhouse, the Noisettes are unsurpassed.

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AimÉe Vibert is one of the prettiest of the group. It was raised by the French cultivator Vibert, who named it after his daughter. The flowers are pure white, and grow in large clusters. Though not among the most vigorous in growth of the Noisettes, this variety is comparatively hardy, and in all respects very desirable. Miss Glegg resembles her French sister, but is scarcely so graceful or elegant. Joan of Arc is a pure white rose, growing very vigorously. Madame Massot, sometimes sold by American nursery-men under the name of Mademoiselle Henriette, bears large clusters of small flowers of a waxy white, faintly tinged with flesh-color. It is one of the hardiest of the group. Caroline Marniesse somewhat resembles it, but is not equal in beauty.

All of the above have very distinctly the Noisette characteristics, as inherited from their parent, the Musk Rose. Those which follow have been hybridized to such a degree with the Tea Rose, that its traits predominate; and though, in some of them, the cluster-blooming habit of the Musk is not lost, the flowers bear, in size, shape, color, and fragrance, a marked resemblance to the Tea. Chroma-tella, or the Cloth of Gold, is, when in perfection, the most beautiful of all the yellow roses; but it is shy of bloom, and difficult of culture. Solfaterre is also a fine yellow rose, much more easily managed than the last. The same may be said of Augusta, a seedling raised from it in this country. Isabella Gray was also raised in America, and is a seedling from the Cloth of Gold, which it rivals in beauty; though, like its parent, it is somewhat difficult to manage. Jaune Desprez, or Desprez's Yellow, is of a sulphur-color tinged with red, very large and fragrant. America is also a large and fine flower of a creamy white; but perhaps the best known of the whole group is Lam arque, in New England the greatest favorite among greenhouse climbers. Its flowers are of a sulphur-yellow, large and double; and its growth is very vigorous.

"But few of the Noisette roses will bear seed in this country: the following, however, if planted against a south wall, and carefully fertilized, would probably produce some. The object here should be to obtain dark crimson varieties with large flowers; and for this purpose Fellenberg should be fertilized with Octavie, Solfaterre with the Tea Rose. Vicomtesse Decazes would probably give yellow varieties; and, these would be large and fragrant, as in Lamarque and Jaune Desprez. In these directions for procuring seed from roses by fertilizing, I have confined myself to such varieties as are almost sure to produce it; but much must be left to the amateur, as many roses may be made fertile by removing their central petals, and consequently some varieties that I have not noticed may be made productive."—Rivers.

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Rosa Damascena.—This is a race of Damask roses endowed with the faculty of blooming in the autumn. The old roses known as the Monthly (not the China roses so called) and the Four Seasons are the parents of the group, though not without some infusion of foreign blood. The Damask Perpetuals are hardy, and remarkable for fragrance. They demand rich culture, even more than most other roses; and the best of them with neglect and low diet will bloom but once in the year, and that indifferently. On the other hand, they repay generous treatment liberally, as some of them are as beautiful as they are fragrant. American nursery-men usually catalogue them among the Hybrid Perpetuals, where they are out of place; since the true Damask Perpetual is not, in any sense, a hybrid, though, as before mentioned, some foreign blood has found its way into the family.

The French rose-grower Vibert has formed a new group, which he calls the Rose de Trianon, out of the Damask Perpetuals; but, as the subdivision seems unnecessary and perplexing, we shall re-annex it to the parent group.

The following are good examples of these Perpetuals: Joasine Hanet has deep purplish-red flowers, very showy. Sydonie bears large flowers of a rose or bright salmon, and blooms profusely. Yolande of Aragon has deep-pink flowers, and is an abundant autumn bloomer. The above belong to Vibert's new division. The following are unquestioned Damask: Crimson, or Rose du Roi, is of a bright crimson, very large, very fragrant, and an excellent autumn bloomer. There is a history attached to it. Count Lelieur was superintendent of the royal gardens of St. Cloud, where this rose was raised from seed, a little before the restoration of the Bourbons. He named it Rose Lelieur, after himself. When Louis the Eighteenth came to the throne, an officer of his household insisted that the new rose should be named after him. Count Lelieur resisted. A debate ensued. The party of the courtiers prevailed: the new rose was called the King's Rose, Rose du Roi; and the count resigned his post in disgust. Mogador is a seedling from this rose, and is, perhaps, an improvement on it. Portland Blanche is pure white, and blooms well in autumn. An English writer sets it down as worthless: whence I infer that there must be two of the same name; for here it lias proved itself one of the most beautiful of white roses. Bernard is a small but very beautiful rose, of a clear salmon-color, and is said to be a sport from the Crimson.

"As the culture of this class of roses," says Rivers, "is at present but imperfectly understood, I shall give the result of my experience as to their cultivation, with suggestions to be acted upon according to circumstances. One peculiar feature they nearly all possess,—a reluctance to root when layered: consequently, Perpetual Damask roses, on their own roots, will always be scarce. When it is possible to procure them, they will be found to flourish much better on dry, poor soils than when budded, as at present. These roses require a superabundant quantity of food: it is therefore perfectly ridiculous to plant them on dry lawns, to suffer the grass to grow close up to their stems, and not to give them a particle of manure for years. Under these circumstances, the best varieties, even the Rose du Roi, will scarcely ever give a second series of flowers. To remedy the inimical nature of dry soils to this class of roses, an annual application of manure on the surface of the soil is quite necessary. The ground must not be dug, but lightly pricked over with a fork in November; after which some manure must be laid on, about two or three inches in depth, which ought not to be disturbed, except to clean with the hoe and rake, till the following autumn. This, in some situations, in the spring months, will be unsightly: in such cases, cover with some nice green moss, as directed in the culture of Hybrid China roses. I have said that this treatment is applicable to dry, poor soils: but, even in good rose soils, it is almost necessary; for it will give such increased vigor, and such a prolongation of the flowering season, as amply to repay the labor bestowed. If the soil be prepared as directed, they will twice in the year require pruning: in November [in March, for this country] when the beds are dressed; and again in the beginning of June. In the November pruning, cut off from every shoot of the preceding summer's growth about two-thirds its length: if they are crowded, remove some of them entirely. If this autumnal pruning is attended to, there will be, early in June the following summer, a vast number of luxuriant shoots, each crowned with a cluster of buds. Now, as June roses are always abundant, a little sacrifice must be made to insure a fine autumnal bloom: therefore leave only half the number of shoots to bring forth their summer flowers; the remainder shorten to about half their length. Each shortened branch will soon put forth buds; and in August and September the plants will again be covered with flowers. In cultivating Perpetual roses of all classes, the faded flowers ought immediately to be removed; for in autumn the petals do not fall off readily, but lose their color, and remain on the plant, to the injury of the forthcoming buds. Though I have recommended them to be grown on their own roots, in dry soils, yet, on account of the autumnal rains dashing the dirt upon their flowers when close to the ground, wherever it is possible to make budded roses grow, they ought to be preferred; for, on stems from one to two feet in height, the flowers will not be soiled: they are also brought near to the eye, and the plant forms a neat and pretty object."

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Rosa Hybrida Bourboniensis.—The China Rose and one of the old Damask Perpetuals, known as the Red Four Seasons, have produced between them a distinct family of hybrids known as the Bourbon roses. They are so called because they were originated on the Isle of Bourbon. One M. Perichon, an inhabitant of that island, in planting a quantity of seedling roses raised for a hedge, found one very different from the rest, and planted it apart. On flowering, it proved to be distinct from any rose before known. Soon after, in the year 1817, a French botanist, M. BrÉon, arriving at the Isle of Bourbon as curator of the government botanical garden established there, investigated the case of this remarkable seedling, and became convinced that it was produced between the two species named above; since these were then the only roses on the island, and both were freely used as hedges. M. BrÉon sent plants and seeds of the new rose to Paris; and from these have sprung the whole race of the Bourbons,—a race of sweeter savor in horticulture than in history.

They are remarkable as a family for clearness and brightness of color, perfection of form, and freedom of autumnal blooming. Some of them are quite hardy; others are not so in New England. Their growth is various; some climbing vigorously if trained to do so, and others forming compact bushes. Abundance of manure, a deep and well-dug soil, and mulching with newly-cut grass or some similar substance to keep them moist in dry weather, joined to judicious pruning, are needed to bring forth their beauties in perfection. The stronger growers cannot be pruned severely without greatly diminishing the quantity of their bloom; but the ends of tall, strong shoots of the same season's growth may be cut off with great advantage, thus checking their growth, and causing them to throw out small blooming side-shoots.

No roses are better than these where the object is to produce a late autumnal bloom. They may be made to bloom into the winter by pinching off their summer flower-buds, in order that they may not exhaust themselves in that season, and by sheltering them from the frost. For forcing, they are unsurpassed.

Some of the most vigorous varieties would make gorgeous pillar-roses, provided pains were taken to lay them flat, and cover them with earth every winter. Without protection, they would suffer severely in the Northern States.

Acidalie was, till recently, the only white Bourbon; yet it is not pure white, but has a tinge of blush. Of late, another white Bourbon has been added,—Blanche Lafitte,—which is also faintly tinged with flesh-color. Adelaide BougÈre is of a rich velvety purple. Du-petit Thouars is of a vivid crimson, large and double. George Peabody is of a purplish-crimson. Louise Odier is a rose of very vigorous growth, and one of the hardier members of the family: its flowers are of a bright rose-color, of a beautiful cupped form; and it has a tendency to bloom in clusters. Prince Albert is still hardier. Its color is a brilliant crimson-scarlet, and its autumn bloom is abundant. Sir Joseph Paxton is of a bright rose-color, tinged with crimson: its growth is exceedingly vigorous; and, with moderate protection, it will bear our winters. Souvenir de la Malmaison is unsurpassed among roses. It is very large, and beautifully formed. It is of a light, transparent flesh-color; and no rose is more admired in a greenhouse. It will also thrive in the open air, and, when the soil is well drained, may safely be trusted to bear a New-England winter, provided it is covered with earth. In a wet soil, it is usually killed. Vorace is of a dark purplish-crimson, and, like the last named, only partially hardy. Hermosa, or Armosa, resembles a China rose in the character and abundance of its bloom. None surpasses it for forcing.

The above will serve as favorable examples of the best types of this group.

"I hope in a few years to see Bourbon roses in every garden; for 'the Queen of Flowers' boasts no member of her court more beautiful. Their fragrance also is delicate and pleasing, more particularly in the autumn. They ought to occupy a distinguished place in the autumnal rose-garden, in clumps or beds, as standards and as pillars. In any and in all situations, they must and will please. To insure a very late autumnal bloom, a collection of dwarf standards, i. e. stems one to two feet in height, should be potted in large pots, and, during summer, watered with manure-water, and some manure kept on the surface. Towards the end of September or the middle of October, if the weather be wet, they may be placed under glass. They will bloom in fine perfection even as late as November....

"It is difficult to point out roses of this family that bear seed freely, except the Common Bourbon; but Acidalie, planted against a south wall, would probably give some seed. * If any pollen can be found, it might be fertilized with the flowers of Julie de Loynes. A pure white and true Bourbon Rose ought to be the object: therefore it should not be hybridized with any other species. Bouquet de Flore may be planted against a south wall with Menoux, with which it should be carefully fertilized: some interesting varieties may be expected from seed thus produced. Queen of the Bourbons, planted with the yellow China Rose, might possibly give some seeds; but those would not produce true Bourbon roses, as the former is a hybrid, partaking of the qualities of the Tea-scented roses. Anne Beluze, planted with Madame Nerard, would give seed from which some very delicate Blush roses might be raised; and Le FlorifÈre, fertilized with the Common Bourbon, would also probably produce seed worthy of attention."—Rivers.

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We reach, at length, the vast family of the Hybrid Perpetuals,—a race of brilliant parvenus, which, within the last twenty-five years, have risen to throw other roses into the shade. As we look upon them, we survey a gorgeous chaos. Here are innumerable varieties of foliage and flower, perplexing us in our search for genealogies and relationships. All of them, however, have, as a basis, some hardy, once-blooming rose, with which has been mingled the blood of one, and often of many, of the ever-blooming roses, in sufficient proportion to impart some of their qualities of autumnal flowering. Many of the Hybrid Perpetuals have, as their basis, the Hybrid China Rose, already described under the head of the summer roses. This, as we have seen, blooms but once; but when crossed with the China, Tea, Bourbon, Damask Perpetual, or several of these combined, it becomes capable of blooming in the autumn, without losing its hardiness. Such, then, is the origin of this group; and the diversity of its characteristics answers to the diversity of its parentage. Thus two roses can scarcely be more unlike than Baronne PrÉvost and the Giant of Battles, or La Reine and Arthur de San sal. In Baronne PrÉvost and La Reine, the hardier and more vigorous elements prevail; and they probably owe their ever-blooming qualities to an infusion of the Damask Perpetual, rather than of the more tender China roses. In the Giant of Battles and Arthur de Sansal, on the contrary, the China and Bourbon clements are very apparent; and, while these roses are excellent autumn bloomers, they are much less hardy and vigorous than the other two.

M. Laffay, in his garden at Bellevue, a few miles from Paris, may be said to have laid the foundations of the Hybrid Perpetual family. Indeed, to a great extent, he created it; having originated a great number of beautiful roses, some of which none of the more recent productions have been able in the least degree to eclipse. Laflay's roses were chiefly of the hardier and stronger type, with La Reine, which was produced about the year 1840, at their head.

From the motley character of the group, the lines that separate it from the Bourbon and from some other families cannot be definitely drawn; and there are certain varieties which always hold an equivocal position, being sometimes placed with one group, and sometimes with another.

These Perpetuals differ greatly in the freedom of their autumn blooming; some giving a second and third crop of flowers in abundance; while others will not bloom at all after midsummer, except under careful and skilful treatment. All require rich culture and good pruning. When an abundant autumn bloom is required, a portion of the June bloom must be sacrificed by cutting back about half the flower-stems to three or four eyes as soon as the flower-buds form. When the flowers fade, these also should be cut off with the stems that bear them, in a similar manner. The formation of the seed-vessels, by employing the vitality of the plant, tends greatly to diminish its autumn bloom. Give additional manure every year, and keep the ground open, and free of weeds. If rank, strong shoots, full of redundant sap, form in summer, check their disproportioned growth by cutting off their tops.

In the North, these roses are better for a little winter protection, such as earthing them up at the base, or thrusting pine-boughs into the soil among them. They may with great advantage be taken up as often as once in three years, and replanted after two or three shovelfuls of old manure have been dug into the soil, which, at the same time, should be forked to the greatest possible depth. Indeed, it does them no harm to replant them yearly: on the contrary, they, generally bloom the better for it.

An excellent way to preserve them during winter, when they have been taken out of the ground, is to bury them, root and branch, in earth. The earth for this purpose should not be very moist. The place selected should be sheltered and dry; the latter point being of the last importance. The roses may be tied in bundles, and the earth thrown over them to the depth of six inches or more, in such a manner as to shed the rain and snow; and if a few boards are placed over it, in a sloping position, it will be so much the better. In this way, all the half-hardy roses, and many of those regarded as the most tender, can be safely wintered in the coldest parts of New England.

It is to the family of Hybrid Perpetuals that the French rose-growers have given their chief attention. Hence an enormous multiplication of varieties, every year bringing forth a new brood, perplexing us with their numbers, and by the clamor with which the merits of each and all are proclaimed by their respective originators. Some of these new roses are unsurpassed in beauty, and deserve all that can be said of them. Yet thoroughly to establish the character of a rose requires several years,—not less than six, according to the eminent French rose-grower, M. Jules Margottin: therefore it is impossible to speak with entire confidence of these novelties. I shall begin with roses of well-established merit, which have been for years in cultivation here. Of the rest, which have had not more than a season's trial, mention will be made afterwards.

La Reine is perhaps entitled to the first mention, as it was one of the first in its origin, and has never since lost ground. It varies very much in quality with circumstances of soil and cultivation, and in its color is surpassed by many other roses. Its very large size when well grown, its fine form and perfect hardiness, are its points of merit. It is the mother of a numerous progeny, among which Auguste Mie is one of the best, growing very vigorously, and bearing flowers equal to those of its parent in beauty of form, and superior in delicacy of color. They are of a fine rose-color, several shades lighter than that of La Reine. Louise Peyronney also, in many respects, surpasses her parent; and is a rose of great beauty, though scarcely so vigorous as La Reine. Baronne PrÉvost is another hardy and vigorous rose, of a type wholly different: it grows with great vigor, bears the rudest winter, and, both in June and in the autumnal months, yields an abundance of large, very double flowers of a light rose-color. Pius IX. has the same vigor of constitution, and the same abundant bloom: its flowers are of a deep rose, tinged with crimson. Dr. Arnold is of a deeper color, approaching to crimson, and is one of the best autumn bloomers. Madame Boll is a superb rose, very vigorous, very hardy, and very double. L'Enfant du Mt. Carmel somewhat resembles it, but grows and blooms more freely: its color is a rosy crimson. Jules Margottin has no superior in its way: it is of a clear, rosy-crimson color, and its half-opened buds are especially beautiful. Triomphe de l'Exposition is of a deep crimson; and Souvenir de la Reine d'Angleterre, of a bright rose: both are very vigorous and very effective. General Jacqueminot is of a fine crimson, and, though not perfectly double, is, nevertheless, one of the most splendid of roses. Its size, under good culture, is immense. It is a strong grower and abundant bloomer, and glows like a firebrand among the paler hues around it. It is one of the hardier kinds, and is easily managed. Its offspring are innumerable. The greater part of the new roses of the last year or two own it as a parent, and inherit some of its qualities. Of its older progeny, Triomphe des Beaux Arts and the Oriflamme de St. Louis may be mentioned with honor. The last, especially, is a very brilliant rose. Among other deep-colored roses are Triomphe de Paris, Gloire de Santenay, and General Washington; the last a seedling from Triomphe de l'Exposition. It is a new rose; but there can be little doubt of its merit.

Perhaps no rose among the Hybrid Perpetuals has been so famous, and so much praised, as the Giant of Battles; but we cannot fully echo the commendations bestowed upon it. All the roses just named are hardy, vigorous, and of easy culture, available to the half-practised amateur as well as to the experienced cultivator. But the class of Hybrid Perpetuals of which the Giant of Battles is the type, and, to a great extent, the parent, requires more skill and precaution for successful culture. They are all more or less liable to mildew. "I can do nothing with the Giant, because the mildew destroys it," a well-known nursery-man writes me. Besides this tendency, it is by no means of the vigorous growth which the catalogues of nursery-men commonly ascribe to it. Its flowers, however, are very brilliant, and, in a favorable season, are produced in abundance. In color, they resemble those of General Jacqueminot. Some of the seedlings raised from them are much darker; and among these may be mentioned Arthur de Sansal, Cardinal Patrizzi, and the Emperor of Morocco. Lord Raglan is one of the very finest flowers of this section; and the plant is more vigorous, and less liable to mildew, than the rest of the group.

The following are of the lighter, and more delicate shades: Caroline de Sansal is of a clear flesh-color, large, full, and of a vigorous, hardy constitution. Madame Vidot is, when in perfection, an exquisite rose, of a transparent, waxy, flesh color, and formed like a camellia: it has not proved hardy here, and has suffered severely every winter. Queen Victoria is of a better constitution: it is white, shaded with pink. William Griffiths is an old and excellent rose, of a peculiar light satin rose-color: it rarely suffers from the winter. Virginal is pure white. La Mere de St. Louis is of a waxy flesh-color, and, though not very full, is distinct and beautiful. Madame Rivers is of a very light rose. Comtesse de Chabrillant is of a clear pink, and very fine. Madame Knorr is of a somewhat deeper shade, and singularly beautiful in bud. Louise Magnan and Dr. Henon may, with Virginal, in the absence of better, represent the white Hybrid Perpetuals,—a color in which this class is very deficient; while a yellow or buff rose is as yet unknown in it, although it is said that such an one has been produced, and will soon be "brought out."

The following are a selection from the new roses; and, though their merits have not as yet been tried by the test of time, there can be very little doubt that all of them will prove of the highest merit:—

Maurice Bernardin is of a bright vermilion, very large and full. Charles Lefebvre is of a bright crimson, purplish at the centre, and seems an admirable rose. Mrs. William Paul is of a violet-red, shaded with crimson.

Madame ClÉmence Joigne aux is of a red and lilac color, and grows with great vigor. Lord Macaulay is of a rich scarlet-crimson: a bloom of it is now before me, cut here, in the open air, on the 22d of October. Sour des Anges owes its singular name to the delicacy of its tint,—a soft flesh-color; yet the habit of the plant is vigorous, and it seems of a hardy nature. Duc de Rohan is red, shaded with vermilion. Beauty of Waltham, an English seedling like Lord Macaulay, is of a bright carmine, and blooms profusely. Madame Furtado is very large, fragrant, and double: its color is a light rosy-crimson. Le Rhone is of a brilliant and deep vermilion. Duc de Cazes is of a purplish crimson, so deep as almost to appear black. President Lincoln is cherry-red. Princess of Wales is a recent seedling of Mr. William Paul, the English rose-grower; and, though I have not yet seen it in flower, it is so highly extolled by an English amateur, that I mention it here. It is of a bright crimson, with thick and firm petals, and said to be very hardy. SÉnateur Vaisse is of a brilliant red, and has found numerous admirers. Victor Verdier is carmine, shaded with purple, large and showy. Louise Margottin is of a delicate, glossy rose-color, beautifully formed; and, though marked of moderate growth on foreign catalogues, it has grown with uncommon vigor here. Prince Camille de Rohan is of a deep maroon approaching crimson. It is very large and full.

The above comprise the flowers of most brilliant promise among the recent novelties. Many others will be mentioned in the supplementary list.

The Hybrid Perpetuals combine merits so numerous and so brilliant, that they are rapidly driving out of cultivation many roses once in the highest esteem. Indeed, with the exception of Moss roses, and some of the Teas, Noisettes, and Bourbons, none seem likely to maintain their ground before these gorgeous upstarts, some of which are as robust as they are beautiful. Their beauties, however, depend greatly on their culture; and this is true of all roses. A rose which, under indifferent treatment, will be passed unnoticed, puts on, in the hands of a good cultivator, its robes of royalty, and challenges from all beholders the homage due to the Queen of Flowers.

In conclusion, the amateur will do well to make this his golden rule: Cultivate none but the best, and cultivate them thoroughly. Thoroughness is at the bottom of all horticultural success.

"Raising new varieties of this family from seed presents an extensive field of interest to the amateur; for we have yet to add to our catalogues pure white and yellow and fawn-colored Hybrid Perpetuals: and these, I anticipate, will be the reward of those who persevere. Monsieur Laffay, by persevering through two or three generations, obtained a mossy Hybrid Bourbon rose, and many of the finest varieties described in the foregoing pages. This information will, I trust, be an incentive to amateurs in this country. To illustrate this, I may here remark, that a yellow Ayrshire Rose, now a desideratum, must not be expected from the first trial; but probably a climbing rose, tinged with yellow or buff, may be the fruit of the first crossing. This variety must again be crossed with a yellow rose: the second generation will, perhaps, be nearer the end wished for. Again: the amateur must bring perseverance and skill into action; and then, if in the third generation a bright yellow climbing rose be obtained, its possession will amply repay the labor bestowed. But these light gardening operations are not labor: they are a delightful amusement to a refined mind, and lead it to reflect on the wonderful infinities of Nature.

"Madame Laffay is an excellent seed-bearing rose: this may be fertilized with the Bourbon Gloire de RosomÈnes and with Comte Bobrinsky. Dr. Marx may be crossed with the Bourbon Paul Joseph and with the Bourbon Le Grenadier. These should all be planted against a south wall, so that their flowers expand at the same time; and they will probably give some fine autumnal roses, brilliant in color, and very double. For fawn-colored, or yellowish and white roses, Duchess of Sutherland may be fertilized with the Tea-scented roses Victoria and Safrano. These must all have a south wall. These hints may possibly be considered meagre and incomplete; but I trust it will be seen how much depends upon the enterprise and taste of the cultivator."—Rivers.

Rosa Bracteata.—The original species was brought to England from China by Lord Macartney in 1795. The varieties are few, and very distinct in appearance from other roses. The leaves are small, and of a deep shining green. This rose is not hardy, even in England; at least, the old varieties of it are not so: but one has lately been sent me, under the formidable appellation of Rosa Bracteata Alba Venusta, which is reported to have proved hardy in New Jersey.

The Macartney roses are of a climbing habit, and evergreen.

Alba Odorata is white, with a yellow centre. The flowers are double. Alba Simplex is a single white. Maria Leonida is white, with a blush centre, and is the best of the group. There is a hybrid rose raised by M. Hardy, of the Luxembourg Garden, and known by the name of Berberifolia Hardi. From its resemblance to this division, it is commonly placed with it, though not properly belonging here. It is a pretty rose, with bright yellow flowers, marked with a chocolate spot in the centre; but it is not hardy, nor is it easy of culture.

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Rosa Roevigata.—No foreign work on the Rose includes this species among those held worthy of culture; yet in our Southern States, where it is naturalized, it is singularly beautiful. In the North it is not hardy, though the root commonly survives the winter, while the stem and branches are destroyed. It comes originally from China. Its shoots and leaves resemble those of the Banksia Rose; the former being long, pendulous, and graceful, and the latter of the most vivid green. Its flowers are single, very large, and of the purest waxy white, in the midst of which appears the bright yellow of the clustering stamens. Its long, slender, tapering buds are unsurpassed in beauty. It thrives admirably in a cool greenhouse, climbing with a rampant growth over the rafters, and giving forth a profusion of flowers through the greater part of the winter. Unlike all the other roses described in this book, it is a species in its original, undeveloped state, and, as such, offers a tempting subject for the art of the hybridist.

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Rosa Microphylla.—This is an introduction within the present century from the Himalaya Mountains, and is rather a curiosity than an ornament. The leaves are very small and very numerous; and, by a curious freak of Nature, all the spines seem gathered together on the calyx, or outer covering of the flower-buds. The original variety, Microphylla Rubra, is perhaps the best. Among others may be named Carnea, Coccinea, Rosea, and Purpurea.

There is a rose, commonly sold under the name of Microphylla Rugosa, which is very desirable from the abundance of its autumnal bloom, and from its hardy nature; a point in which it differs from the true Microphyllas. It grows vigorously, and in autumn blooms profusely in large clusters of purplish-red flowers.

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Rosa Centifolia.—This is a group of Moss roses to which, by hybridization, has been communicated some of the character of the autumn-blooming roses. The power of repeated blooming has, however, in some cases, been acquired at the expense of the distinctive characteristic of the Moss Rose; and few of this group are so well mossed as the parent to which they owe their name. One of the best is Salet, which is of a bright rose-color, tolerably well mossed, a vigorous grower, and an excellent autumn bloomer. Madame Edouard Ory is of a somewhat brighter hue, but by no means equal in vigor. The Perpetual White Moss is better deserving of the name of Moss than either of the others. It is double, blooms in clusters, and grows vigorously. Besides these, there are many other varieties, most of them indifferent.

These roses require the same culture with the Hybrid Perpetuals. Their power of autumnal blooming is increased by high enrichment and frequent transplanting.

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Rosa Spinosissima.—The Perpetual Scotch is a group of the well-known Scotch roses, endowed, probably by hybridization, with a power of blooming twice or more in the year. None of them are of much value except Stan-well, which is of a blush color, double, prettily cupped, and very fragrant.

Here closes our list of Autumnal roses, and with it our book. In conclusion, we would remind the cultivator, that although, even under neglect and scorn, the Rose has smiles for all, it is only to a loving and constant suitor that she clothes herself in all her beauty. Among all the flowers of our gardens, none is more grateful for a careful attention, and none more abundantly rewards it.