46 FLOWERS. 



fection in which the many beautiful varieties of this 

 lovely flower now exist. Most of our finest roses were 

 originally brought from the East, where they are 

 raised in large quantities as an article of commerce. 

 Ghazipore may be called the rose-bed of India. In 

 the spring of the year, an extent of miles around the 

 town presents to the eye a continued garden of roses. 

 The sight is perfectly dazzling, the whole surface of 

 the ground, as far as the eye can reach, being clothed 

 with the same beautiful carpet of mingled green and 

 red ; while the air is loaded with the sweetest odors, 

 which are wafted far across the river Ganges. The 

 flower is cultivated thus extensively for the manufac- 

 ture of rose-water. 



There is much interest connected with the cultiva- 

 tion of this flower; the almost indefinite number of 

 sorts, with hues varying from the most delicate pink 

 to the deepest crimson, and from the purest white to 

 a brilliant yellow, renders it a peculiarly fit object to 

 adorn our conservatories or our flower-gardens. And 

 while its blossoms are proverbially frail, and continue 

 at most but a few days, still its rapid and constant 

 succession of fresh opening buds fill up the places of 

 those which have fallen beneath the rays of the sun. 



" Fairest flower, the pride of spring, 

 Blooming, beauteous, fading thing 

 'Tis as yesterday, when first 

 Forth thy blushing beauties burst, 

 And I marked thy bosom swell, 

 And I caught thy balmy smell, 

 Fondly hoping soon to see 

 All thy full-blown symmetry: 



