CHAPTER III 



THE MULTIFLORA ROSES 



Everyone knows the Crimson Rambler Rose, therefore 

 every one can form an excellent idea of the characteristic 

 points of the modern, highly-developed varieties of Rosa 

 multiflora. They are distinguished by vigorous growths 

 that are much thicker and less pliant than those of 

 wichuraiana roses ; generally, they do not attain so great 

 a length, though this depends very largely upon the kind 

 of soil in which they are grown. The leaves are large and 

 bold, and the leaflets bigger than those of the Dorothy 

 Perkins type, but while the foliage of many of the latter 

 persists until midwinter, that of the multiflora roses falls 

 in autumn. The blossoms are produced in big bunches, 

 and in the modern varieties are distinguished by a wide 

 range of colour. There are single, semi-double, and 

 double forms. The flowers do not, as a rule, last so 

 long in full beauty as those of the wichuraianas, but 

 they make a gorgeous display for some weeks. While, 

 on established plants, there is no lack each spring of 

 fresh growths from the base, these are not so profusely 

 produced as by the Dorothy Perkins type, neither do 

 the old stems flower so satisfactorily. 



I am afraid I am making a somewhat apologetic 

 introduction of the multiflora roses, though there is 



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