instance as Jules Margottin, or Mdlle. Haiman and others, which bear inspection individually, and exhibit characters consistent with the important and conspicuous places assigned them. Bearing these differences in mind, let us consider now the uses and abuses of climbing roses.

The object first sought is to cover the wall, trellis, or arch quickly, but not with such haste as to prejudice the future well-doing of the tree. For all the better class of climbers the first thing requisite is to prepare the soil, so that when planted they will have every help to free growth. No matter what the position or the circumstances in which the roses are to be planted, the soil should be deeply stirred and liberally manured some time before planting takes place. For these roses are hungry, and if starved the shoots get hard in the bark, and are reluctant to make side-shoots; and instead of making a vigorous growth at one effort there is a succession of spasmodic efforts at growth all through the season, especially after rain, that prevents the formation of flower-buds. But for Ayrshire roses no great preparation is necessary, unless the soil happens to be a poor peat, sand, or chalk, in which case some good loam must be introduced at the stations where they are to be planted. In nearly every case of planting climbing roses, plants on their own roots are to be preferred. If not on their own roots, they should be on short brier stocks.

Some kinds seem to do as well budded as on their own roots, and for the first year or two grow quicker. I remember once covering a great breadth of wall with one plant of Grevillea in three years, the plant being worked on a brier about six inches from the ground; and another plant on its own roots, in a similar position close by, had not made more than half that growth in the same period; but after the third year, there was no great difference between them.

Like other roses they may be planted at any time between November and March if they have been previously growing out of doors, and as many of them are precocious in their movements in spring, autumn planting is to be preferred. But in any case of planting out of pots, if the plants have been sheltered or grown for some time under glass, it will be best to wait till April and then turn them out carefully, loosening the ball of earth, but not stripping their roots entirely.

It will depend entirely on the varieties planted, how they are to be dealt with from the day of planting. Ayrshire and Sempervirens roses require very little pruning at any time, whether in youth or age; but Boursaults, Rosomenes, Teas, and Noisettes require careful pruning to insure a regular distribution of the flowering wood, and prevent increase of altitude at the expense of growth at the base. Any of these roses left to grow as they please will

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soon become mere bunches of leaves at the ends of long naked shoots. It is the business of the cultivator to prevent this. If the plants are strong when planted in autumn, tie them in sufficient to keep them safe against wind, and so leave them till spring. At the end of February cut them down to within two eyes of the base of each shoot, and on no account begin with more than three shoots to each rose. The object of deferring cutting down till the spring is to prevent the premature starting of the buds at the base, as if there comes a sharp frost after mild weather those buds may be killed back after having grown a few inches, which would be a misfortune. From the three shoots supposed to be cut down there will probably start eight or nine shoots. Retain five of these, and cut or nip out the remainder as soon as you can determine which push the strongest; the weakest are to be removed. Supposing you have but one main shoot to begin with, cut it down to three, four, or five eyes, and from these form the plant. Train in all shoots regularly, never let them hang about, or the growth will be checked and they will flower prematurely. (When they are established they may be allowed to fall over if the position allows of negligent growth, and they will bloom the more freely for it.) At the next season's pruning, cut back all the shoots at least half their length, no matter what the length may be, and at the same time remove

any weak, or ill-placed, or imperfectly ripened shoots, leaving a bud at the base if another shoot is wanted in the place from which a poor shoot was removed. The next season cut back to a uniform length, but not severely, all the leading shoots, and shorten in very moderately all the laterals, and thenceforward prune very little, no more in fact than is sufficient to prevent crowding at any one place or the usurpation of the principal vigour of the tree by any one leading shoot. To keep a wall or trellis well clothed, it is needful to have an eye to the strong shoots that occasionally rise from the base. It will be well to allow one of these to rise every year, train it over the shoots that are already nailed in, and at the next pruning remove one of the old main shoots by a clean cut at the base, and let the young shoot replace it.

ARCHES AND TRELLISES.

If the summits and connecting chains and rods only require to be covered, plant climbing roses worked on tall stems and train their heads over, and only prune sufficient to regulate the growth. For this purpose those of the Sempervirens section are invaluable; and as they retain their leaves till spring, you have the advantage of verdure in winter with roses in summer. When in bloom they are magnificent, the clusters showing from a dozen to forty or fifty roses each. The deepest coloured rose

of this section is Princess Marie, reddish pink, the flowers nicely cupped, and produced in large clusters. The next brightest coloured is Brunonii, flowers of a lively rose, a brilliant object when full out, the plant less decidedly evergreen than the rest of the family.

The purest white of the race is Mélaine de Montjoie, which has rich deep green, glossy foliage. Another good white is Rampante, a tremendous bloomer. The most fragrant is Banksiaflora, with straw centre, very double. But the favourite of the race is Félicité Perpetué, a remarkably rapid grower, with lovely foliage, and myriads of little globular creamy blossoms. There are many others, the best of which are Spectabile, rosy lilac, and Myrianthes, with beautifully formed rosy-blush flowers, most delicate and graceful in all its aspects.

CHAINS AND LOW TRELLISES AND DIVIDING SCREENS.

When worked roses are planted to run over the summits of arches and temples, the low trellises and chains connecting the principal supports of the arches may be covered with Hybrid Perpetual and Bourbon varieties, or with Rosa de Rosomène, which is very vividly coloured, and most profuse in bloom, though a poor rose when compared with any of the florists' varieties. Among the H. P. and B. sections, any of the vigorous growing kinds may be selected, and of Teas, Gloire de Dijon, Amabilis,