BM 



RO i. 



hemisphere, found in all temperate clime*, and 

 even as far south as Ab\s-inia, the Indian Pen- 

 insula, ami Mexico, extending also to the arctic 

 zone, and of -iich divcisity that more than 200 

 species were admittetl by former liotanists, which 

 have now been reduced, however, to less than a 

 tilth of tluit numU-r. In Britain we find it in- 

 digenous iis Rum spinosuuima (the Burnet-rose, 

 from which descend the many varieties of Scotch 

 rose) ; Rom canina (the I)og-roe of our hedges, 

 with several Bub-varieties ) ; rubiyinosa and 

 tnienuiffi'i, well known UK the Sweet Briei-; 

 iiri'i-iitu, a prostrate nnd unfrogrant kind ; turn- 

 rntnuii ami rilliuKi, having downy foliage and deep- 

 red blossoms. The recent tendency of botanisis, 

 gladly accepted by the gardener, has been to re- 

 strict the number of species and allow more scope 

 to variety, so that the above list may soon be 

 compressed. 



( 2 ) The cultivated rose is a fuller and generally 

 larger form, obtained by the nurture and skill of 

 the gardener, and still receiving improvement by 

 skilful crossing and loving observance. In the 

 durdenrr's Chnnide of 1885 may be found Mr 

 Baker's scientific classification of garden roses, 

 which an; marshalled into ten companies or group-, 

 chietly according to leaf and prickle. Mr \\illiam 

 Paul, however, in the last edition of his great 

 work, permits us Ui reduce these ten groups to six, 

 which will l>e as follows : Simplicifolia-, Systylse, 

 Banksiamp, Bracteata 1 . Ccutiioliie, and Caninte. 

 But the general grower may l>e well content with 

 tlie arrangement in the catalogues of our leading 

 nurserymen, as recognised by the National Hose 

 Society, and observed in mir chief exhibitions; 

 though the principle of division is not botanical, 

 neither is the broad line drawn l>etween summer 

 and 'perpetual' roses always justified by fact; so 

 that many good rosarians now protest against the 

 too popular neglect of a fragrant, lovely, and freer 

 dowering class. 



(a) Summer roses, thus ostracised by a hasty 

 vote, are of many families, and bloom for the most 

 part in June and July the Boursanlt, the Scotch 

 Rose, the Damask, the Provence, the Moss, the 

 French and Hybrid French, the Bourlioii and 

 Chinese Hybrids, the Austrian ami Sweet Ilrier, 

 the Ayr-hire, Evergreen, and Multillora. the l'ol\ 

 antha, Prairie, and Banksian roses, as well as some 

 few others. Many of these are of the greatest 

 beauty for instance, the Moss rose, perhaps the 

 loveliest of all flowers ; and some are the best 

 of all for trellis or for pillar, and the hardiest in 

 bad weather. 



(b) The Perpetual, or Remontant rose, an the 

 French more correctly term it, instead of making 

 growth alone after the gorgeous summer show, 

 affords a succession, more or less continuous 

 according to variety and weather, of bud and 

 bloom until the frosts forbid. Yet even with these 

 it is rare to lind the aftermath of beauty as free or 

 as line as the summer crop had liccn : and many of 

 the so-called pcrgictiiaU retire as meekly .-is the 

 Hummer ro-e, e-pceially in dull seasons. Per- 

 petual roses are chiefly its follows: the Chinese or 

 Monthly, the Hybrid Perpetual, the Tea-scented, 

 I!OUI|K>II. Noisette, Macartney, Kugosa, Micro- 

 phylhi, l.awreneeana. and Peipetual Scotch. The 

 old ( hinese, Husu Indira, i-oinmonly called the 

 Monthly Hose, is still |>opular a an early and 

 abundant bloomer ; so are the BowboBI anil 

 Noisette*. But the Hybrid Pernetual and Tea- 

 scented are now the chief favourites of the 

 grower, and have almost engrossed his attention. 

 Of these two classes the former has for many years 

 been undoubtedly the leading rose, but the Tea 

 begins more and more to vie with it in favour, and 

 many rtwarians now place it first, for it* exquisite 



refinement, grace, and delicacy, Switching modesty, 

 and pensive charm. But the hybrid perpetual 

 claims holder brilliance, more velvety dmUMIC, and 

 profundity of glow. And indeed it seems difficult 



Fig. 1. ROM rngosft. 



to achieve or conceive more perfect beauty than 

 has already been attained by loving ingenuity and 

 persevering skill in many of the roses we now 

 possess; though manifold gardeners are hankering 

 still for a blue rose, which would not accord with 

 the form and tint of the foliage if they got it. 



Roses are also divided, according to the form of 

 flower, into globular, cupped, compact, and ex 

 p.mded, the lost named often becoming rcllexcd in 

 the later stage of bloom ; and again, according to 

 modes of culture, into standards, half-standards, 



a b 



Fig. 2. 

 o, T-roe ; 6, Hybrid perpetual. 



pyramids, bushes, pendulous, pillar, and trellis 

 form. The standards and half-standards, once so 

 |Hipular, an- now in less demand, though still 

 approved by those who plant for exhibition, or 

 special effect at a distance; and the hush i the mme 

 natural ami ea-v growth) becomes every year more 

 general. For pillar and trellis work there are but 

 few of the hybrid perpetmils and tea scented suffic- 

 ing in vigour and hardiness ; though certain 



