THE BOOK OF ROSES, 



GEOGRAPHY OF ROSES. 



CERTAIN authors affect to assign a native 

 country to the rose ; selecting the provinces 

 of Georgia and Circassia, celebrated for the 

 production of the most beautiful of the human 

 race, as the birth-place of this exquisite shrub. 

 This appears to be a superfluous limitation. 

 Wherever useful vegetables are found for the 

 nourishment of mankind, ornamental plants 

 are intermingled ; as if Providence, while pro- 

 viding for our wants, deigned to administer to 

 our pleasures. The corn-fields of Europe are 

 variegated with the blossoms of the scarlet 

 poppy and blue corn-flower : the bright corn- 

 flag and fragrant amaryllis exhibit their bril- 

 liant colours among the maize-fields of Africa : 

 the marsh-rose and water-lily display their 

 rich bloom upon the streams of India and 

 Egypt ; while the scented vanilla-vine overruns 



