24 THE BOOK OF THE ROSE chap. 



Laurette Messimy (Giiillot, 1887), however, showed an 

 improvement, a pretty buttonhole Rose, pink shaded 

 with yellow, very free-blooming, but not a strong 

 grower. 



The Laiorenceana, or Fairy Rose, also introduced from 

 China about 1810, is simply a China Rose in miniature. 

 These little toys are often sold in pots in the markets, 

 and should not be confounded with the miniature 

 pompons, which bloom only once ; for the Fairy Roses are 

 true Chinas, and if kept in health are ever in bloom. 

 They are best perhaps in pots, but are sometimes 

 successfully grown in rich warm soils as edgings. 



The Tea Rose (R. indica odorata). — This most cele- 

 brated group, the true aristocracy of the Rose world, 

 was also introduced from China about the year 1810. 

 The first one was pink, and in 1824 the Yellow Tea 

 Rose was imported. 



There can be no doubt that both of these originated 

 from the Chinese Rose, and for many years the group 

 was known as the Tea Scented China. They are like 

 the China group in habit, but differ from it in being 

 tender to frost, and having the peculiar fragrance said 

 to be like that of a newly opened tea-chest. It seems 

 strange and suggestive that Roses with this scent should 

 have originated in China, but scent experts deny that 

 the odour of Tea is to be found in Tea Roses. The 

 " manners and customs " of this lovely class will be 

 found in Chap. XII. 



The Noisette Rose originated in America, and was 

 named after Mens. P. Noisette, who brought it to 

 France, from which it reached this country about 1820. 

 It is supposed to have been an accidental cross between 

 the Musk and the China groups : there is no doubt it 

 had something in common with Tea Roses originally, 



