116 



THE CANADIAN HORTICULTURIST. 



The Rose proper from which this 

 important faniily takes its name, is indi- 

 genous only to the northern hemisphere, 

 and generally distributed through Eu- 

 rope. Asia and North America The 

 Dog Rose (Rosa Canincf) to central 

 Europe, the Provence and Manetti 

 being onl\" sub-varieties ; the Sweet 

 Briar, the eglantine of poets, is indi- 

 genous to both northern hemispheres. 

 Rosa Gallica, I presume, to France, 

 Rosa spinosissima to Scotland ; Lutea 

 to A ustria and Persia ; Boursault to 

 the Alps ; Damask (Damascena) to the 

 Levant ; Cinnamon (Cinnaniomea') to 

 the Pacific slopes of North America ; 

 Bourbon { Bourbouiana) to the Isle of 

 Bourbon ; the Banksia from China ; 

 Rosa Indica Odo)ata, the Tea Rose, 

 to the same place ; the climbing Ayr- 

 shire Rose (Arvensis) to Britain, and 

 the Rubifolia, another climber, to the 

 prairies of North America. All have 

 a distinct characteristic from each other, 

 and from these sources emanate Roses 

 now in cultivation. 



Really the Rose in its primitive con- 

 dition cannot vie in appearance with 

 some of the lower orders, for example, 

 some of the Malvaceae and Lilaceje 

 families, but the essential elements for 

 development in the Rose are moi-e 

 abundant. The first step is to change 

 the original condition of things by culti- 

 vation ; this will evidently produce more 

 petals than the five in the original, no 

 doubt at the expense of the stamens, and 

 when the blossom becomes thoroughly 

 double all the fructifjdng organs are 

 changed into petals, and its natural 

 powers of reproduction are gone. I 

 think, upon examination, that it will 

 be found that the number of stamens 

 changed will correspond with the addi- 

 tional number of petals. The Roses 

 now in general cultivation are mostly 

 hybrids, and by a combination of the 

 difierent elements have produced results 

 which have developed in the Rose of 



the present day, the varieties being ad 

 infinitum. To suppose that the Rose 

 has now arrived at the acme of its gor- 

 geousness is a fallacy. Progress does 

 not admit of a climax. The Roses of 

 the future will to a certainty far aur- 

 j)ass those that are now in cultivation. 

 The cultivation of the Rose is very 

 simple, only requiring the same treat- 

 ment as in a currant bush, namely, 

 cutting out superfluous wood and spur- 

 ring the branches. 



The Rose to be grown to produce 

 great efiect is budded on the Dog Rose 

 ( Rosa Canince) at standard heights, say 

 from thi'ee to five feet, and planted ter- 

 race fashion, which I have seen and 

 manipulated when a lad working in a 

 gentleman's garden in the lowlands of 

 Scotland ; but, after all, when grown 

 in this manner foi- a few years they 

 soon decay and become unmanageable, 

 consequently requii'e to be replaced. 

 I think all Roses do best when worked 

 on the Manetti, which is very vigorous, 

 and will produce better blooms and 

 more vicjor of ijrowth, than when grown 

 on their own bottoms. Example, what 

 would a Giant of Battles be on its own 

 bottom, a poor, puny thing, and many 

 other like it. Roses grown on their 

 own bottoms ai'e just as troublesome to 

 keep in order as those worked on the 

 Manetti, particularly hybrid Chinas. 

 When accustomed to know the difier- 

 ence between the stock and the variety 

 worked on it, the suckers are easily 

 removed. 



Giving protection to the Rose in the 

 country is absolutely necessary, which 

 is easily effected by bending the canes 

 and pegging down close to the ground, 

 and covering with almost any kind of 

 haulm. I have found pea straw, 

 when it could be procured, the best. 

 Care should always be taken not to put 

 on too thick a covering. On the ap- 

 proach of spring remove it, tie the 

 bushes to stakes if desired. The next 



