an estimable point in the construction of a flower.

1. The petals should be thick, broad, and smooth at the edges.

Whether this be for a Moss, which is never to be shown fully opened, or the florist's favourite, which is to be shown as a dahlia, this property is equally valuable, because the thicker the petal the longer it is opening, and the longer does it continue in perfection, when it is opened. There is another essential point gained in thick-petalled flowers-The thicker the petal the more dense and decided the shade or colour, or the more pure a white, while the most brilliant scarlet would look tame and watery if the petal were thin, transparent, and flimsy. Hence many semidouble varieties, with these petals, look bright enough while the petals are crowded in the bud, but are watery and tame when opened, and dependant on their single thickness.

2. The flower should be highly perfumed, or, as the dealers call it, fragrant.

Whether this is to climb the front of a house, bloom on the ground, or mount poles or other devices, fragrance is one of the great charms which place the Rose on the throne of the garden as the queen of flowers.

3. The flower should be double to the centre, high on the crown, round in the outline, and regular in the disposition of the petals.

This would seem to be a little contradictory, after saying that in a Moss-rose the full-blown flower cannot be allowed, because it conceals the grand characteristic of the plant. But it

is not contradictory, because we defend it on grounds which render doubleness equally valuable to the moss family, which should not be shown in full bloom, as to those which are so exhibited. The more double the flower, even when amounting to confusion, the more full and beautiful the bud in all its stages. Those who have noticed the single and semi-double Mossroses will remember that the buds are thin and pointed, and starved-looking affairs, while the old common Moss-rose, which is large and double as the Cabbage-rose, is bold, full, rich, and effective, from the instant the calyx bursts. At this point, we shall have to branch off and take families ; perhaps the Moss family is the best to commence with. Those who now follow through the different species or varieties, will find the first three rules are essential to all, and are therefore repeated with each division.

PROPERTIES OF MOSS-ROSES.

1. The petals should be thick, broad, and smooth at the edges.

2. The flower should be highly perfumed, or, as the dealers call it, fragrant.

3. The flower should be double to the centre, high on the crown, round in the outline, and regular in the disposition of the petals.

4. The quantity of moss, the length of the spines, or prickles, which form it, and its thickness, or closeness, on the stems, leaves, and calyx, cannot be too great.

This being the distinguishing characteristic of Moss-roses, the more strongly it is developed

the better.

5. The length of the divisions of the calyx, and the ramifications at the end, cannot be too great.

As the entire beauty is in the undeveloped bud, the more the calyx projects beyond the opening flower, or rather the more space it covers, the better.

6. The plant should be bushy, the foliage strong, the flowers abundant and not crowded, and the bloom well out of the foliage.

7. The colour should be bright or dense, as the case may be, and if the colour or shade be new, it will be more valuable; and the colour must be the same at the back as the front of the petals.

These seven properties would constitute a Moss-rose a valuable acquisition, and probably, at present, the greatest acquisition would be a yellow one.

8. The stem should be strong and elastic, the footstalks stiff, so as to hold the flower well up to view, above or beyond its foliage.

PROPERTIES OF ROSES FOR STANDS, SHOWING THE SINGLE BLOOM LIKE DAHLIAS.

1. The petals should be thick, broad, and smooth at the edges.

2. The flower should be highly perfumed, or, as the dealers call it, fragrant.

3. The flower should be double to the centre, high on the crown, round in the outline, and regular in the disposition of the petals.

4. The petals should be imbricated, and in distinct rows, whether they be reflexed, like some of the velvety Tuscan kind, or cupped like a ranunculus; and the petals to the centre should continue the same form, and only be reduced in size.

5. The colour should be distinct and new, and stand fast against the sun and air, till the bloom fail.

6. The stem should be strong, the footstalk stiff and elastic; the blooms well out beyond the foliage, and not in each other's way.

The very worst habit a Rose can have, is that of throwing up several blooms close together, on short stiff footstalks, some of which must be cut away before the others can be fully developed ; as show-flowers they are bad, and as plants they are very untidy. The side buds prevent the centre flowers from opening circularly, and when the first beauty is off them, they exhibit dead Roses held fast between two living ones. As these show Roses may be found in almost every family, we must say nothing about the general character of a plant. We now proceed to other distinct families.

THE PROPERTIES OF NOISETTE ROSES.

However singularly some catalogues class these Roses, we intend, by this name, to distinguish those Roses which bloom in clusters.

1. The petals should be thick, broad, and smooth at the edges.

2. The flower should be highly perfumed, or, as the dealers call it, fragrant.

3. The flower should be double to the centre, high on the crown, round in the outline, and regular in the disposition of the petals.

4. The cluster should be sufficiently open to enable all the flowers to bloom freely, and the stems and footstalk should be firm and elastic, to hold the flower face upward, or face outward, and not to hang down, and show the outside, instead of the inside of the blooms.

5. The bloom should be abundant at the end of every shoot.

6. The blooming shoots should not exceed twelve inches before they flower.

7. The bloom should stand out beyond the foliage, and the plant should be compact and bushy.

We now proceed to a family which we shall designate Climbing-roses, and which comprise blooms of the Noisette kind, that is, in bunches ; blooms which come singly, large and small; flowers early and late; and, in fact, which comprise all sorts of Roses that grow tall enough for training.

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