Mr. A. Oelschig, of Savannah, Ga., in the November number of The Monthly, takes exception to some remarks I made at Cincinnati in regard to Southern-grown roses. The remarks in question, which were made in a private conversation, and not to the Society, were simply a relation of our experience with one thousand plants which we received from Savannah in the early part of December, 1884. They were all Hybrid Perpetuals of the following kinds: Baroness Rothschild, Magna Charta, John Hopper, Paul Neron, Jules Morgottin, and several other similar varieties. They were large, fine looking plants, averaging three to four shoots each, which were apparently fairly well ripened. We potted them, and placed them in a cold sunken pit, alongside of the same varieties of imported (English) stock, received about the same time. The conditions under which they were situated were thus exactly the same, and they had a fair comparative test. About Februnry 1st the Southern plants began to turn black at the ends of the shoots, and the blackening extended down the shoots to the crown as the season advanced. Before we got through fully one-half of the thousand plants proved a total loss, and many of the others were injured. Some few seemed all right.

In the same frame, and under precisely the same conditions, the English stock wintered splendidly, and we did not lose one plant in a hundred. There was no mistake made in the handling of them, as we have grown roses in those same pits with unvarying success for the last ten years. One of our largest cut flower growers in this vicinity, who received some of the same stock at the same time from the same source, had a similar experience to ours, or very nearly as bad, his loss being about one-third. Mr. Oelschig, in his article, states that the roses in his State are in vigorous growth and full bloom as late as the end of October. Now, with this condition of affairs, I fail to see how a thorough ripening of the whole plant, root and top, can be achieved so as to be fit for delivery by December Ist, and later than this would not do for us Northern florists. All experienced growers know that a "ripened" condition of the whole plant is necessary with Hybrid Perpetual roses lifted from the ground before they are in perfect condition.

I do not condemn the Southern-grown roses sweepingly, for if the conditions of soil and climate are such as to enable the plant to become properly "ripened." then there is no reason why the South should not compete with Europe in roses from the open ground; but unless they are thoroughly ripened failure more or less is certain to follow. It is just possible that these two lots of roses were injured by the roots getting dried before they were packed in Savannah, or by heating in the cases, but they showed no indications of either, and hence we came to the conclusion that it was an unripened condition of the root and top - a consequence of growing in a section of the country where the needed rest of deciduous plants could not be given, that did the mischief. It is a well-known fact, that in Florida and other extreme Southern States, Hybrid Perpetuals, Mosses, and other deciduous roses are hardly ever seen in perfection, and in some sections dwindle and die; no doubt for the reason that there is never long enough continued low temperature to give them the needed rest that all deciduous plants demand. Asparagus, rhubarb, peaches, apples, pears and cherries refuse to give satisfactory returns when grown in such a climate as Florida, for this reason.

Injustice to Mr. Oelschig, I would state that the roses in question were not received from his establishment, and possibly the shipment we received last year may not have been a fair sample of Southern-grown roses. I sincerely hope that such is the case, as we are large importers of roses each season, and would much prefer to buy home grown plants at the same price, for the reason that they are grown on their own roots, which is certainly an advantage. I do not think that the trial Mr. Oelschig suggests would be satisfactory or final, or that it is at all necessary; for, if Southern-grown roses are equal to imported stock, the fact will be quickly found out, and they will come to the front at once.

Jersey City Heights, N. J., Nov. 2, 1885.