"The desire of an 'impressario' that his prima donna may appear young and beautiful as long as possible to her adorers, is very easy to explain. That one be able to put back old age, or rather to render young again that which is old, is found to be impossible.

"However, when in the popular German life they speak of the 'Mill of the Youth,' it shows the general desire that this change might take place. That among the Damask roses, old beauties have been again introduced as young by modern speculators in the trade of roses, is what we have seen already several times; for instance, La Reine, Beauty of Glazenwood, Celine Forestier and others.

"However, a few years since they found it good and profitable in America to make appear on the scene of roses, as 'American Beauty,' a French rose of good reputation and acknowledged superiority, viz.: Madame Ferdinand Jamain (Ledi-chaux, 1875) whose worth had not been sufficiently acknowledged or appreciated. And this rose which has two names now, and becomes young again through the needed advertisement sent beforehand, had in America an approbation almost universal, and has caused a great sensation. We perceive that in the circle where it made its first appearance in Europe, it was received with the greatest attention, and that our German Rosenbarnum seized immediately the favorable occasion, although not the only seller, to make a great deal of money out of it. It is not surprising that on account of the American advertisement, and of the attractive qualities of this rose, people made up their minds to recommend it and to help to its propagation. It is distinguished by its large size, beautiful buds, long and thick, which develop themselves in the cup-shaped form, and have an extremely strong perfume of centifolia; a strong growth, and free bloomer, but over all by its great value as a forcing rose, so great that in one same period of forced culture it blooms again, and almost every shoot bears a flower.

" Having lost almost entirely the first acquisition of this so-called new rose, and that, thanks to the Reblausconvention, which obliges the rose bushes to pass through England and Belgium, I was not able at first to decide on its qualities. In spite of that, after having seen several flowers of it, I declared in the first meeting of horticulturists on the 4th of April 1887, that I recognized in American Beauty the variety Madam Ferdinand Jamain.

"In my article in the Hamburger Garten and Blumenzeitung on the new American roses for forced culture, which I sent in February, I was showing on this subject that the American rose was similar to Madam Ferdinand Jamain. Already before the appearance of this last rose, whose worth for forced culture I had recognized, I strongly multiplied it during several years, but I found very few buyers for the flowers, or the plants, because in spite of all its other good qualities, the cherry red color of its flowers did not please here. After my observations I have now to maintain the above assertions, that we are treating of a synonym, caused by the happy stroke of the pen of a clever American speculator, or by mistake, or perhaps by ignorance.

" Any how the American Beauty does not deserve to be indicated as new, nor to be spread as such.

"Referring to what precedes, I will at the same time make the remark, that on account of what is established here above, I greatly reduce my demand for American Beauty, though I have large stocks and orders for it.

Fr. Harms, Rosarian, Hamburgh." Auburn, N. Y, May 24th.

[Mr. Dunning's views correspond wholly with ours, and we think the European article unnecessarily sharp. There is a vast difference between an intention to deceive, and a deliberate attempt at fraud. In this case some one discovered that a rose had great merit. Suppose it was an old rose, no one knew that it had any merit. We hold that a man who discovers a new merit is as much entitled to reward as one who discovers a new rose. Mr. Harms, it appears was very well acquainted with the rose Madame Ferdinand Jamain - but he did not seem to think it was particularly remarkable; at least he made no particular sales.

It is all very well to refer its great success to "American advertisement," but its good qualities backed up the advertisement. Mr. H. sees now that it is "distinguished by" a host of good points. He may have seen them before - certain it is that he could not work off his stock. He found "few buyers" for all his acute perception of its many beauties.

We will venture to say that if the good points put forward by Mr. Harms had been presented with its proper name, the "American Speculator" would have made just as much money out of it, as under the name of American Beauty. Even should he buy it over again under its mistaken name, he would at least have the satisfaction of learning that he had a prize in something of which he was before ignorant.

It is, of course, not right to rush things out as new when a little care would show they were old. More care in this respect would be desirable. But in this case people have not lost very much by the mistake - if mistake it be. - Ed. G. M].