REMARKS ON ROSES. 



365 



if there be any distinct and valuable fea- 

 ture in a plant, which justifies the growing 

 of it as a -plant ^ then is the bloom entirely 

 out of the question, and such plant is 

 scarcely worth the florist's keeping. 

 Some properties apply to all Roses, and 

 may therefore be taken as estimable 

 points in the construction of a flower. 



" First — The petals should be thick, 

 broad, and smooth at the edges." 



Whether this be for a Moss or any other 

 Rose, this property is particularly valua- 

 ble, because the thicker the petal, the 

 longer it is opening, and the longer does 

 the flower continue in perfection. The 

 thicker the petal the more dense and de- 

 cided will be the shade or color, or the 

 more pure a white, while the most brilliant 

 scarlet would look tame and watery, if the 

 petal were thin, transparent, and flimsy. 



" Second — The flower should be high- 

 ly perfumed, or in other words, it should 

 be very fragrant." 



Placed upon the throne of the garden 

 as the queen of flowers, it is this property 

 which gives the Rose so great a charm ; and 

 whether it be to climb the front of a house, 

 bloom on the ground, or mount poles, or 

 other devices, fragrance will ever be 

 deemed a most essential quality. 



" Third — The flower should be double 

 to the centre, high on the crown, round in 

 the outline, and regular in the dispositions 

 of the petals." 



This doubleness is quite as requisite in a 

 Moss Rose as in any other, because where 

 it exists, the bud will be more full and 

 beautiful. In conformity to the properties 

 mentioned, a fine double Rose should ap- 

 pear as in Fig. 85. 



We say " should appear,^^ for as yet the 

 best Rose we ever saw, is far from being 

 equal to the above diagram, though several 



Fig. 85. A Perfect Rose. 



have made considerable approaches to it. 

 It will yet be reached. 



"Fourth — The color should be distinct, 

 and stand fast against the sun and air, till 

 the bloom fails." 



"Fifth — The stem should be strong, the 

 footstalk stiff and elastic ; the blooms well 

 out beyond the foliage, and not in each 

 other's way." 



It is a very bad habit in a Rose, to throw 

 up several flowers close together, on short 

 stiff footstalks, for some of them must be 

 cut away before the others can be fully de- 

 veloped. The side buds prevent the centre 

 flowers from opening properly, and when 

 the first beauty is passed, they exhibit dead 

 Roses held fast between living ones. Such 

 plants are very untidy. 



