354 



THE CANADIAN HORTICULTURIST. 



on the winter roses," serves to show that the 

 culture of roses in Rome was carried to such 

 perfection as to make the attempt of foreign 

 competitors subject to ridicule, for he 

 writes, " And thou, O Nile, must now yield 

 to the fogs of Rome, send us thy harvests, 

 and we will send thee roses." The Romans 

 obtained roses and lilies in December by in- 

 troducing to their plant houses tubes filled 

 with hot water. The Romans whose pro- 

 fuse use of flowers subjected themselves to 

 the reproof of their philosophers, considered 

 the rose as an emblem of festivity. At a 

 feast given by Cleopatra to Mark Antony 

 she caused the rooms to be strewed with 

 rose leaves to a considerable depth and spent 

 a talent in procuring the requisite number. 

 It was also customary for the wealthy to 

 take their meals resting on rose leaves. It 

 is related that Nero spent £20,000 on roses 

 at one feast. 



The rose was considered the emblem of 

 prudence. When a rose was placed over 

 the door of a room in which a Romah feast 

 was held, whoever passed beneath it there- 

 by incurred a solemn obligation not to re- 

 veal what was seen or heard, hence the 

 term, " Sub Rosa," a term in use at the 

 present time. Shakespeare, in his play, 

 Henry 6th, ist part 2-4, brings the rose into 

 historical prominence by making a poetic 

 reference to the commencement of the 30 

 years war in England, 1455- 1485, known as 

 the war of the Roses, between the houses of 

 York and Lancaster. 



Mr. Wm. Paul, in one of his books, re- 

 cords that in Hungary it is customary with 

 ladies of rank to take bunches of rose buds 

 of choice varieties and go into the fields 

 and woods and bud the wild kinds which 

 they encounter in their rambles, and it is 

 said to be no unconimon thing to meet with 

 the finest varieties blooming in most unfre- 

 quented places. Although I have con- 

 densed and omitted much I would like to 



The Clematis. 



The clematis here shown was photographed about the middU 

 of June from a plant two years planted. The name has been lost, 

 but as can be seen it is very early, and though the flowers are not so 

 large as those of Clematis Henryii, i is as purely white, and late in 

 July was making new growth and forming new flowerbuds, and a 

 second crop of flowers was in sight that were only second to those 

 shown ni the photograph. There is no more desirable climber for 

 the front of verandahs than the clematis. This vine is in the lovely 

 garden of Mr. A. Alexander of Hamilton. 



have written, I must quote a short poem by 

 Margaret H. Burnett on the rose : 



It is not stately, grand, and strong 



Like oak, which braves the winter's blast; 



It yields no fruit to husbandman 



When time of blossoming is past. 



'Tis only beautiful ; but so. 



It fills its God's appointed place 



And speaks His watchful love and care 



To e'en the humblest of our race. 



Some fill their lives with actions grand, 

 Some fight life's battles brave and true, 

 Some only quiet beauty show. 

 And only trifling duties do. 

 But like the Rose, they fill the place 

 Appointed by the Almighty one, 

 And faithful though, but in the least, 

 Thev at the end will hear " Well done." 



