194 



HENDERSON'S HANDBOOK OF PLANTS. 



ROS 



Bosa o&wata, the type of this section, is a na- 

 tive of China, introduced into England in 1810, 

 and, with the Yellow China or Tea-scented Rose 

 previously introduced into France, became the 

 parents of the best known and most extensively 

 cultivated class in this country. They range 

 through all the shades of yellow, orange, white, 

 blush, pink, purple, and crimson, and have 

 nearly all a marked tea fragrance. From the 

 hundreds of varieties that have been produced 

 it is difficult to determine the varieties that can 

 be named as best. Those we name under the 

 head of "Winter Culture of the Rose" are, per- 

 haps, the best at the date of writing. Until 1877 

 no true striped Rose had been known to exist; 

 but in that year a sport from the crimson col- 

 ored Bon Silene came distinctly striped crim- 

 son and white, and has continued to hold to this 

 peculiar and beautiful form. It has been ap- 

 propriately named the "American Banner," and 

 as beginning to create quite a sensation in Eu- 

 rope from its decided novelty of coloring. The 

 whole class of Teas are the most tender of the 

 great Rose family. There is no sure protection 

 for them in the open border without more trou- 

 ble and expense than the plants would be worth 

 in spring time. Most amateurs have very sen- 

 sibly given up "protecting " this class of Roses, 

 and have found the more sure, easy, and inex- 

 pensive way to get Tea Roses is to procure young 

 plants in spring, not more than four inches high, 

 grown in thumb-pots ; these, if planted in a 

 good, strong, rich soil, will produce more flow- 

 ers during the summer and autumn months 

 than double their number of old plants "kept 

 over." At the present writing we have of the 

 many varieties of Teas several thousands; plants 

 that, when put out in April, could not be seen 

 half way across the nursery rows, but which are 

 now (October) averaging two Roses a day from 

 each plant, and have been for the past two 

 months. For out-of-door culture, treat Tea and 

 all other tender Roses the same as any bedding 

 plant; that is, to depend upon young plants for 

 the season's flowering. Tea Roses can be pre- 

 served without difficulty through the winter by 

 taking up, potting, or "heeling" in a box of 

 earth, and keeping them in a cool, dry cellar, 

 where the thermometer will not fall below 25. 

 When planted out in spring they should be well 

 cut back, and if carefully planted in a rich soil, 

 they will be nearly as good as young plants. In 

 California and nearly all States south of Rich- 

 mond, the Tea Rose requires no winter protec- 

 tion, and is there seen in the greatest perfection. 

 The Macartney Rose, (R. bracteata.) The origi- 

 nal of this small group is the single Macartney 

 Rose, a native of China, introduced into Eng- 

 land in 1795 by Lord Macartney, from whom it 

 took its name. It is a climbing evergreen Rose. 

 Like most of the China Roses, it is not hardy, 

 and its value for winter flowering is not suffi- 

 cient to warrant growing it under glass The 

 Miniature Rose, (R. Lawrenciana.) This is a 

 native of China, and was formerly considered by 

 botanists to be a distinct species. Mr. Rivers, 

 of England, whose knowledge of the Rose is sec- 

 ond to no one's, says it is but a dwarf variety of 

 the common China Rose, like the Bon de Meaux 

 and Pompon, which are dwarf varieties of R. 

 centifolia. "Many plants," he remarks, "that 

 have been long under cultivation have a tend- 

 ency to produce from seed these pigmy like- 

 nesses of themselves." If there is any value in 

 this class, it isaa a curiosity for pot culture. The 



ROS 



Cherokee Rose (R. Iccvifjaia) is a large-flowered 

 single variety, a native of China. In the South- 

 ern States, where it has become naturalized, it 

 is held in high esteem for the graceful habit of 

 the plant, with its vivid green, glossy leaves. 

 The flowers are of the purest waxy white, and 

 are produced in the greatest abundance. It is 

 often used for hedges, and for this purpose few 

 plants could be better adapted. The Noisette 

 Rose, (R. Noisettiana.) The type of this group, 

 the old Blush Noisette Rose, is a cross between 

 the Musk Rose and the common China Rose. It 

 was produced by M. Noisette, a French garden- 

 er, of Charleston, South Carolina, in 1817. The 

 seed was from the Musk Rose, and the plant 

 partakes of its nature, in its vigorous growth, 

 and, to a limited extent, its fragrance, together 

 with its habit of blooming in clusters: in all 

 other respects it is entirely dissimilar from either 

 parent. From this hybrid, some of our most 

 useful and beautiful half-hardy Roses have orig- 

 inated, embracing several green-house varieties, 

 the most superb of which is the Lamarque (white. ) 

 The group contains some of quite dwarf habit ; 

 all are noted for producing their flowers in large 

 clusters; this is particularly the case with the 

 Washington, Fellenburgh, and Aime Vibert. The 

 Marshal Neil Rose of this section is, like the 

 General Jacqueminot, most extensively forced 

 under glass for its buds ; probably three acres 

 of glass surface are used for it in the vicinity of 

 New York City, but it is likely to be superseded 

 by Perle des Jardins, which is nearly equal to 

 it, and which flowers continually. Though not 

 hardy north, nothing can exceed the beauty of 

 many of this class of Roses in some of the South- 

 ern States, where the thermometer does not fall 

 below 20. The finest of all these is probably 

 the old "Cloth of Gold," now rarely met true, 

 Solfataire being often sold for it. Marshal Neil, 

 another yellow, of late introduction, is very fine, 

 as are also Gloire de Dijon and many others of 

 this section. Standard Roses are produced by 

 budding any desired variety on the common 

 Dog Brier or Manetti stock, the strongest grow- 

 ers known; consequently they give to the Rose 

 the greatest amount of nourishment. In a 

 moist, cool atmosphere, like that of England, 

 Roses are grown in perfection upon standard, 

 half-standard, or dwarf stocks. In this coun- 

 try, the dry, hot winds and scorching sun of 

 summer, or the cold winds of winter, will de- 

 stroy the vitality of the stock, (particularly if on 

 high standards,) and they rarely live more than 

 three or four years, and in no case will they pro- 

 duce such Roses in this country as in England 

 or France, except in particularly favorable situ- 

 ations, such as a north aspect in our city gar- 

 dens. We have known them in such positions 

 to do exceedingly well, especially when the stem 

 of the plant had been wrapped around with moss 

 or straw to protect it against the summer sun. 

 Where grown in the greatest perfection in Eng- 

 land, stocks are selected that are the best adapted 

 to the soil and situation in which they are to 

 grow ; these are planted about the 1 st of Novem- 

 ber, and the highest cultivation possible is given 

 them. In the following July they are budded 

 with the most vigorous buds that can be had 

 from plants put out the previous year expressly 

 for the buds. In the following November they 

 cut the shoots back to five or six inches, and in 

 the following spring cut back to one or two buds, 

 which will give the flowering shoots. For exhi- 

 bition purposes but one bloom is allowed on 



