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: 
