48 THE BOOK OF ROSES 



is what seldom happens with us." Still, the yellow 

 Provence Rose is rarely if ever to be found listed in any 

 of the nurserymen's catalogues of the present day. 



The Moss Rose 



The Moss Rose is believed to be a descendant of the 

 Provence Rose. It was introduced into England at 

 about the same time as the Provence Rose, though its 

 actual history is not fully known. The flowers of the 

 old Moss Rose are much like those of the common 

 Provence Rose, though their foot-stalks are stronger, 

 and the flowers consequently more upright. The 

 mossy growth about the calyx is continued far down 

 the flower-stalk, and is much more obvious when the 

 flower is in bud than when it is in full bloom. The 

 Moss Rose does not seem to have appealed to every 

 gardener, for Hanbury, writing in the eighteenth 

 century, said " it seems to owe its excellence to the 

 mossy substance growing about the foot-stalk and calyx 

 of the flower, but were this as common as the other sort 

 of Province roses, that would be looked upon as an 

 imperfection ; for though this flower naturally is 

 possessed of the same agreeable fragrance as the other 

 Province roses, yet this mossy substance has a strong 

 disagreeable scent, is possessed of a clammy matter and 

 is liked by very few." I venture to differ. 



Few things are more beautiful than a Pink Moss Rose 

 showing through its mossy covering, and so far from the 

 scent of the mossy calyx being disagreeable, to me, at 

 any rate, it may be ranked with, though below, that of 

 the Sweet-briar. There are several beautiful varieties 

 and hybrids of the Moss Rose. The White Bath and 

 Blanche Moreau are perhaps the best of the white, 

 though Comtesse Murinais is also a very handsome 

 white variety, much resembling a Damask Rose in its 



