Only bags of stuffy nitrate from a far Pacific shore, From a dreary West Coast harbour that I'll surely fetch no more; Only bags of stuffy nitrate, with its faint familiar smell Bringing back the ships and shipmates that I used to know so well; Half a lifetime lies between us and a thousand leagues of sea, But it called the days departed and my boyhood back to me. C.F.S. * * * * * ROSES ALL THE WAY. Fired by an Irish rose-grower's pictures of some of his beautiful new seedlings we are tempted to describe one or two of our own favourite flowers in language similar to his own. This is an example of the way he does it:-- "LADY MAUREEN STEWART (_Hybrid Tea_).--A gloriously-finished globular slightly imbricated cupped bloom with velvety black scarlet cerise shell-shaped petals, whose reflex is solid pure orangey maroon without veining. An excellent bloom, ideal shape, brilliant and non-fading colour with heavy musk rose odour. Erect growth and flower-stalk. Foliage wax and leathery and not too large. A very floriferous and beautiful rose. 21s. each." Why not also these?-- DAVID (_Hybrid Tory-Lib._).--A gloriously-finished true-blue-slightly- imbricated-with-red-flag coalition rose whose deep globular head with ornate decorative calyx retains its perfect exhibition-cross-question- hostile-amendment symmetry of form without blueing or burning in the hottest Westminster sun. Its smiling peach and cerise endearments terminating in black scarlet shell-shaped waxy Berlin ultimata are carried on an admirably rigid peduncle. Equally vigorous in all parts of Europe. Superbly rampant. Not on sale. AUSTEN (_Tea and most other things_).--This bottomless-cupped bank-paper- white-edged-and-rimmed-with-tape-pink-margin bloom, the reflex of whose never-fading demand notes is velvety black thunder-cloud with lightning- flash six-months-in-the-second-division veinations, has never been known to be too full. It is supported by a landlordly stalk of the utmost excess- profits-war-profits-minor-profits rigidity. A decorative, acquisitive and especially captivating rose, and already something more than a popular favourite. 18s. in L1. SIR THOMAS (_Ceylon and India Tea_).--This true sport from the British bull-dog rose has a slightly globular double-hemisphere-popular greatly- desiring-and-deserving-to-be-cupped bloom whose pearly preserved cream flesh is delicately flushed and mottled with tinned salmon and dried apricot. Rich golden and banking-account stamina, foliage deep navy blue with brass buttons and a superb fragrance of western ocean. Its marvellous try-try-try-again floriferousness in all weathers is the admiration of all beholders. Price no object. * * * * * From a weather forecast:--