8 PARSONS ON THE ROSE. 



fruits, which usually pass for seeds ; these are oval or 

 globular, and surrounded with a soft down. The wood 

 is very hard and compact, and of fine grain ; and if it 

 could be procured of sufficient size, would serve as a sub- 

 stitute for box in many kinds of manufacture. The lon- 

 gevity of the Rose is, perhaps, greater than that of any 

 other shrub. We recollect seeing a rose-tree near an old 

 castle in Stoke Newington, England, the stem of which 

 was of immense size, and indicated great age. " There is 

 a rose-bush flourishing at the residence of A. Murray 

 Mcllvaine, near Bristol, (Penu.,) known to be more than 

 a hundred years old. In the year 1742, there was a 

 kitchen built, which encroached on the corner of the gar- 

 den, and the masons laid the corner-stone with great care, 

 saying ' it was a pity to destroy so pretty a bush.' Since 

 then, it has never failed to produce a profusion of roses, 

 shedding around the most delicious of all perfumes. 

 Sometimes it has climbed for years over the second-story 

 windows, and then declined by degrees to the ordinary 

 height. The fifth generation is now regaled with its 

 sweets." 



The number of species known to the ancients was small, 

 compared with the number now recognized by botanists. 

 Pliny, with whom we find the most detail on this point, 

 ^ays that the most esteemed were those of Praeneste and 

 Paestum, which were, perhaps, identical; those of Cam- 

 pania and Malta, of a bright red color, and having but 

 twelve petals ; the white roses of Heraclea, in Greece, 

 and those of Alabande, which seem to be identical with 

 H. centifolia. According to the Roman naturalist and to 

 Theophrastus, they grew naturally on Mount Panga, and 

 produced there very small flowers ; yet the inhabitants of 

 Philippi went there to obtain them, and the bushes on be- 

 ing transplanted, produced much improved and beautiful 

 roses. Pliny speaks also of some other species, one whose 

 flowers were single, another which he terms Spinola^ and 



