30 THE HYBRID CHINA ROSE. 



of extreme luxuriance, but their branches are so 

 vigorous and graceful, that perhaps no plant pre- 

 sents such a mass of beauty as a fine-grown 

 hybrid China rose in full bloom. They owe their 

 origin to the China, Tea-scented Noisette, and 

 Bourbon roses, fertilised with the French, Pro- 

 vence, and other summer roses, and also to the 

 latter crossed with the former — the seeds of such 

 impregnated flowers producing hybrid China 

 roses. These have in many cases resulted from 

 accident, but latterly from the regular fertilising 

 process, as mules or hybrids have been raised from 

 well-known parents. 



In England but few varieties have been ori- 

 ginated, as the common China rose does not in 

 general ripen its seeds sufficiently for germination. 

 The parents of Brown's Superb Blush, an old 

 English hybrid, raised by the late Mr. Charles 

 Brown, of Slough, one of our most scientific and 

 persevering cultivators, was the old Tea-scented 

 rose, Eosa indica odorata, and a hardy summer 

 rose. Rivers's Greorge the Fourth is also an 

 English rose ; but as this came by accident, its 

 origin is not so well ascertained. Rosa Blairii, 

 two varieties. Numbers 1 and 2, are also English, 

 raised from the yellow China, impregnated with 

 some variety of hardy rose. All these roses have 

 the true characters of the family : leaves smooth, 

 glossy, and sub-evergreen ; branches long, lux- 

 uriant, and flexible. They give a long continu- 



