122 THE BOURBON ROSE. 



THE BOUEBOX ROSE. 



(rosa bourboniana.) 

 Rosier de Vile Bourbon. 



It is now, perhaps, about fifty years since that a 

 beautiful semi-double rose, with brilliant rose- 

 colourecl flowers, prominent buds, and nearly 

 evergreen foliage, made its appearance in this 

 country under the name of ' L'lle de Bourbon 

 Rose,' said to have been imported from the Mau- 

 ritius to France in 1822, by M. Noisette. It 

 attracted attention by its peculiar habit, but more 

 particularly by its abundant autumnal flowering ; 

 still, such was the lukewarmness of English rose 

 amateurs, that no attempts were made to improve 

 this pretty, imperfect rose, by raising seedlings 

 from it, though it bore seed in large quantities. 

 This pleasing task has been left to our rose-loving 

 neighbours the French, who have been very in- 

 dustrious, and, as a matter of course, have origi- 

 nated some very beautiful and striking varieties, 

 and also, as usual in such cases, have given us 

 rather too many distinct and fine-sounding names 

 attached to flowers without distinctive characters. 

 In a little time we shall be able to rectify this 

 very common floricultural error. Many fables 

 have been told by the French respecting the 

 origin of this rose. The most generally received 

 version of one of these is, that a French naval 



