CHAPTER I. 



THE HISTORY OF THE ROSE. 



I he Rose, which is the leading flower of the day, the acknowledged favourite of 

 the two greatest nations in the world, is to be found, in a wild state, very generally 

 spread over the earth's surface. 



As if too beautiful to be excluded from the natural Flora of any one of the 

 ancient divisions of the world, it graces alike various countries of Asia, Africa, 

 and North America, and extends over the whole of Europe, where, blooming in 

 its native wildness and simplicity, it is universally prized and admired. 



But although the geographical distribution of the various species makes the 

 Rose an inhabitant of nearly the whole of the Northern Hemisphere, some species 

 are far less plentiful than others, or, if plentiful in certain localities, have a less 

 extended range. Here is one, confined to some particular and favoured spots ; 

 here another, not content with ranging one quarter of the globe ; — the Rosa Canina 

 for instance, the one most commonly seen adorning our wilds and hedge-rows, is 

 found also in Africa and Asia. 



It is a remarkable fact, that Australia has naturally no Roses ; and none have 

 yet been found wild very near to, or south of, the Equator. It is in the temperate 

 regions of Asia, and throughout Europe generally, that those species abound, from 

 which nearly the whole of the present garden varieties have sprung. But if we 

 extend our view, we find some growing on the mountains of North America, 

 whose tops are covered with eternal snow ; and others in the dreary wilds of 

 Greenland, Kamschatka, and Iceland ; while in Siberia there are several 

 interesting species. On the other hand, if we turn to warmer climates, we 

 discover that Mexico, Abyssinia, China, Persia, India, and Egypt have their 

 Roses ; and even on the outskirts of the mighty Sahara one species is found, 

 gladdening the approaches to the desert with its clusters of white flowers, though 



doubtless often 



Born to blush unseen, 



And waste their sweetness on the desert air. 



Who were the first people to bring this flower from its natural habitats, to be 

 a dweller in cultivated grounds, will ever remain a matter of conjecture. Doubt- 

 less it attracted the notice of the virtuoso in plants at a very early date ; probably 



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