THE GEKESEE FARMER. 





MOSS ROSES. 



" The angel of the flowers one day 

 Beneath a Kose-lree sleeping lay ; 

 That Spirit to whose charge is given 

 To bathe young buds in dews from heaven ; 

 Awaking from his light repose, 

 The angel whispered to the Rose 

 'O, fondest object of my care, 

 Still fairest found where all are fair, 

 For the sweet shade thou'st given to me; 

 Ask what thou wilt, 'tis granted thee.' 

 ' Then,' said the Rose, with deepened glow, 

 ' On me another grace bestow.' 

 The Spirit paused in silent thought; 

 What grace was there that flower had not! 

 'Twas but a moment; o'er I he Rose 

 A veil of moss the angel throws; 

 And, robed in nature's simplest weed, 

 Could there a flower that Rose exceed ?" 



TnE constant acquisitions we are receiving to this as 

 well as to all the other classes of roses, many of which are 

 really valuable, may cause a partial neglect of old favor- 

 ites, and we introduce to our readers a cut of the com 

 mon moss rose, at this time assuring them that this 

 variety is worthy of their best care. It is not yet super- 

 seded, And its qualities are such that it must be a good 

 rose in every respect that will ever lav this one on the 



gem, and if we were restricted to a sin- 

 gle sort, this one should be the se- 

 lection. 



It is hardy, a vigorous grower, a pro- 

 fuse bloomer, and the expanded flowers 

 are full and double and very fragrant; 

 the calyx is large, leafy, and quite 

 mossy. 



For a collection of moss roses, we 

 would recommend the following as be- 

 ing among the best : 



Countess of Murinaise — pure white, 

 large, full and double, and blooms in 

 clusters. 



Oillata— bud crested and very mossy 

 — beautiful. 



Glory of the Mosses— light rose color, 

 large, full and double — very beautiful. 



Jean Hachette— medium size, bluish 

 violet spotted with white, blooms in 

 clusters. 



Marbree — medium size, rose color 

 mottled with white — very beautiful. 



Partout, or Moss Moss— profusely cov- 

 ered with moss — the most ?nossy of all. 



Princesse Adelaide — very double and 

 full of a purplish red color, becoming 

 pale — handsome and of a most vigorous 

 habit. 



Blanche Perpetual — pure white, pro- 

 ducing its flowers during a long period, 

 very desirable, but only good in the bud, 

 when it is first rate. 



Alfred Dalmus — quite double, rose 

 color, blooms twice during the season. 



Herman Kegel — another so-called 

 perpetual ; violet crimson, medium size, 

 vigorous and a free bloomer. 



Salet — brilliant rose, medium size, 

 a vigorous grower and free bloomer. 

 This list might be further extended without exhausting 

 the list of good moss roses, but the varieties above des- 

 cribed can be relied upon as of first quality. 



Like the other roses, the mosses require a rich soil, 

 good cultivation, a plentiful supply of water during the 

 period of flowering and the proper attention paid to 

 pruning. In reference to this matter, a general hint only 

 can be given at this time. A judicious use of the knife 

 in the spring will remove many of the weak shoots of the 

 previous year's growth; cut back the main stems, and 

 thus secure to* the plant a new growth of strong, healthy 

 wood for the new bloom. 



In-Door Gardening. — An English lady, Miss Malino, 

 has written an interesting and instructive little book on 

 this subject, which we should be glad to see reprinted 

 and extensively circulated in this country. If we are 

 ever to excel in the culture of flowers, the ladies of Amer- 

 ica must take the ini f iative. At the late Show of the 

 Royal Horticultural Society Miss Malino exhibited a 

 glazed parallelogram case; 46 inches long by 20 inches 



shelf. In the bud, half expanded, or full blown, it is a | wide, filled with flowers, which attracted marked attention. 



