HENDERSON'S HANDBOOK OF PLANTS. 



EOS 



Climbing Eose of the Prairies, from which have 

 originated several double-flowering sorts. The 

 best known is the Queen of the Prairies. The 

 flowers are light crimson, sometimes striped 

 with white. Though wholly devoid of fragrance, 

 it well deserves a place in a collection. It is per- 

 fectly hardy, of the easiest culture, and flowers 

 with great profusion. The origin of the Hybrid 

 Climbing Eoses is entirely unknown; and they 

 present traces of so many sections that conjec- 

 ture on this point is useless. Their hardi- 

 ness in this climate has not been tested suffi- 

 ciently to warrant an opinion as to their useful- 

 ness here. The Evergreen Eose (R. sempervirens) 

 is of Italian origin, though the French have 

 produced. many of the newer varieties. In our 

 Northern States it could scarcely be called an 

 " evergreen;" at the South it could. The varie- 

 ties are among the most valuable of Climbing 

 Eoses, being free growers, perfectly hardy, and 

 producing immense clusters in a variety of col- 

 ors. The Ayershire Eose, (R. arvensis.) The 

 origin of this, like many others, is unknown, 

 though it is generally credited to Scotland. 

 There are a number of varieties, all rapid grow- 

 ers, of easy culture, and well adapted for cover- 

 ing large trellises or arbors. The colors are 

 white, rose, blush, etc. They are rather tender 

 for this vicinity. The Hybrid Perpetual or 

 Eemontant Eose. This class has distanced all 

 others. In them we have beauty of form, fra- 

 grance, depth and variety of color, united with 

 a constitution so vigorous as to endure the se- 

 verity of our Northern winters. They have been 

 produced by crossing the Hybrid China Eoses 

 with different varieties of Chinas and Bourbons, 

 and, to a limited extent, with the Teas. This 

 crossing has resulted in imparting to the more 

 hardy Eoses, to some extent, the blooming qual- 

 ities of the tender sorts without impairing the 

 vigor of the former. It is a mistake to suppose 

 that all Eoses in this class are perpetual bloom- 

 ers, as their name would imply. They are, with- 

 out question, the most valuable for their abun- 

 dance of bloom in June, and most of them will 

 give an occasional flower during the summer, and 

 in favorable seasons, a fair show in autumn ; but to 

 expect continuous bloom, as the Chinas and Teas 

 afford, would be a sad disappointment. As a class 

 they are nearly all hardy in the Northern States, 

 and of easy culture, well adapted to be grown 

 either as dwarfs or standards, and can with the 

 greatest certainty be forced into bloom during 

 winter and spring. Of the General Jacqueminot 

 alone, which is a well-known representative of 

 this class, probably ten acres of green-house 

 surface are used for forcing the flowers for win- 

 ter for the city of New York alone, and in nearly 

 like proportion all over the Union. The Dam- 

 ask Perpetuals. The parentage of this family is 

 difficult to trace. It is generally credited in a 

 great measure to the old white and red Monthly 

 Eoses. There is no authority for this supposi- 

 tion, and no hint even as to the other Eoses 

 with which they were crossed. They are per- 

 fectly hardy, exceedingly fragrant, and free 

 flowering. The Perpetual Scotch. (/?. npinosis- 

 simi. ) These are hybrids, supposed to have been 

 produced by crossing the Scotch Eoses with 

 the Damask Perpetuals. But little success has 

 attended hybridizing those families, as there 

 are but one or two varieties worth cultivating. 

 The Bourbon Eose, or Isle de Bourbon, (R. Bor- 

 boni'tna.) Eoses of this section are remarkable for 

 their autumnal flowering, as they do not flower 



EOS 



well until the first of September, after which 

 they are in continuous bloom until checked by 

 heavy frosts. They derive their name from the 

 Isle of Bourbon, where they originated. The 

 type of the race is said to have been an accident- 

 al seedling from a quantity that were planted for 

 a hed^e by one M. Peirchon, an inhabitant of 

 the island. From many of its characteristics it 

 is a supposed cross between the common China 

 and one of the old Damask Perpetuals known as 

 the Eed Four-season Eose. The first plant was 

 introduced into France in 1822, and at once at- 

 tracted the attention of the leading Eose-growers 

 at Paris, who commenced its cultivation exten- 

 sively. Its tendency to vary was such, that 

 within a short time a large number of seminal 

 varieties were produced, from which some of our 

 most desirable Eoses have originated. Souvenir 

 de la Malmaison, a deep blush color, (introduced 

 about 1840,) that has yet no equal as an autum- 

 nal flowering Eose, and the well-known Her- 

 mosa, pink, belong to this class. The Bourbons 

 are distinguished for their fine foliage, compact 

 habit of growth, and for the profusion and long- 

 continuance of their blooming. They require a 

 dry soil, only moderately rich. They are not 

 perfectly hardy north of Washington, unless 

 under very favorable circumstances. The Per- 

 petual Moss, (R. centifolia.) There are but few 

 of this class, and those few are entitled to the 

 name only in the sense in which the Hybrid 

 Perpetuals are; that is, with grains of allowance, 

 which will be cheerfully granted for the pleas- 

 ure a Moss Eose in autumn affords. This sec- 

 tion is a cross between the old Moss and some 

 of the autumn-blooming varieties. The con- 

 tinuous or rather second flowering has been pro- 

 duced at some sacrifice of the moss. As a class 

 they are poor growers, requiring a strong, deep, 

 rich soil. A well-known type of this class is 

 James Veitch, deep crimson. The Musk Eose 

 (R. muscata) is one of the oldest Eoses in culti- 

 vation. The original is a native of Madeira, 

 Persia, and the north of Africa. The plants are 

 rapid growers and profuse bloomers, in habit 

 resembling the Noisette, requiring the same pro- 

 tection in winter, and the same treatment in 

 growing. They are late in flowering, not com- 

 ing into bloom until about the first of Septem- 

 ber. They receive their name from the fact of 

 their having a peculiar musk-like scent. They 

 are not very hardy in most Eose-grpwing coun- 

 tries, and, consequently, have received but lit- 

 tle attention from growers. The China Eose, 

 (R. Indica,) and the Crimson China Eose, (R. 

 sempei-florens.) These two families are so nearly 

 allied 'that their history, description, and treat- 

 ment are the same. They are both natives of 

 China, and were first introduced into Europe in 

 1789. The two species are the parents from 

 which a rather extensive and interesting family 

 of Eoses have sprung. They are of compara- 

 tively small growth, which is a distinctive fea- 

 ture in all the progeny. They are very gener- 

 ally known as Bengal Eoses. In our climate 

 they are not sufficiently hardy north of Wash- 

 ington to endure the winters without the most 

 careful protection. As garden Eoses they are 

 very desirable, being abundant and continuous 

 bloomers; but for cut flowers, they cannot be 

 highly recommended, although the deep crim- 

 son calor of s*ome of the varieties, as Douglas, 

 i"! > mi pie, makes them grown to a considera- 

 ble e'xtent, even though the buds are small. The 

 Tea-scented China Eose, (R. Indica odorata.) 



