90 The Ottawa Naturalist. [Oct. 



to-day are in bloom in some parts of the same country for about 

 nine months out of every twelve of the year. 



The wealth of bloom in some of the Rose Gardens of Europe 

 is magnificent and the varietv wonderful. 



At the Central Experimental Farm, Ottawa, a new Rose 

 Garden has been recently planted with the object of testing 

 most of the best of these modern roses, for hardiness and suit- 

 ability for Canadian conditions. 



Is the popularity of the rose likely to go on increasing and 

 to what cause or causes is its popularity to be ascribed? These 

 are two questions similar to the one already asked and it is 

 hoped that an answer will be at least suggested in what 

 follows. 



In the first place it may be mentioned that the esteem in 

 which the rose is held is by no means of modern growth. The 

 following account of the birth of the rose will show how the 

 Ancients prized it : 



"Of the birth of the rose, the queen of flowers, it is related 

 in fable that Flora, having found the corpse of a favorite nymph, 

 whose beauty of person was only surpassed by the purity of her 

 heart and chastity of mind, resolved to raise a plant from the 

 precious remains of this daughter of the Dryads, for which 

 purpose she begged the assistance of Venus and the Graces, as 

 well as all the deities that preside over gardens, to assist in the 

 transformation of the nymph into a flower that was to be by 

 them proclaimed queen of all the vegetable beauties. The 

 ceremony was attended by all the Zephyrs, who cleared the 

 atmosphere, in order that Apollo might bless the new created 

 progeny with his beams. Bacchus supplied rivers of nectar to 

 nourish it, and Yertumnus poured his choicest perfumes over 

 the plant. When the metamorphosis was complete Pomona 

 strewed her fruit over the young branches which were then 

 crowned by Flora with a diadem that had been purposely pre- 

 pared by the Celestials to distinguish this Empress of flowers." 



This fable suggests the place which the wild or native roses 

 held in the world of floriculture. The modern rose, with the 

 co-operation of man, is a much more perfect creation than the 

 rose alluded to in the foregoing, and through it nature has called 

 into exercise the highest qualities of mankind. For this reason 

 the rose has played and is still playing a role which is immensely 

 potent in influencing the ethical history of the human race. 



The role which each great man plays in life docs not always 

 influence the race for good: The role played by the Emperor 

 Xcro can searcclv he said to have influ< need the world tor good, 

 and even that played by such as Napoleon is questionable. 

 Indeed the role plaved by most men and women affects hardly 



