The Te?inessee or Prairie Rose. 99 



rose, {Rosa rubifblia.') This rose, a native of our Western 

 and South-western states, was, as I have understood, first 

 introduced into this district in the garden of Gen. Van Ness, 

 from Tennessee, whence it has here taken the name of the 

 Tennessee rose. In the West it is called the Prairie rose — 

 the wild rose, — the wild running rose, — and in some places 

 the Michigan or Detroit rose. It is a runner of the most 

 rapid and luxuriant growth, and so perfectly hardy, that 

 here, in the most exposed situation, the frost makes no im- 

 pression on it. It is capable of being trained to a greater 

 extent than any of our running cluster roses. The bloom 

 is single, of a light rose color, two to two and an half inches 

 across the disk, with a beautiful tuft of yellow stamens — 

 and they are produced in large umbels in succession, so as 

 to present a constant bloom from three to four weeks. 



Having raised a small lot from the seed, four years ago, 

 for the purpose of stocks, I was not a little surprised to find 

 the third year that I had amongst them twelve fine varie- 

 ties of double roses, all partaking, as to hardiness, luxu- 

 riance of growth, and abundance of bloom, of the character 

 of the parent ; they are all runners and bloom in clusters. 



This rose, for ages in existence, and spread for thousands 

 of miles in extent, which has not produced one double 

 offspring (so far as we can learn,) is now destined to be- 

 come, by being brought in contact with other varieties, the 

 parent of a class of roses, equal to the choicest productions 

 of our gardens. None of mine have yet shown a disposi- 

 tion to become monthly or perpetual, but I understand that 

 Mr. Samuel Feast of Baltimore, has produced some that 

 are perpetual. My object is now to call the attention of 

 cultivators to hybridization on this stock the coming season. 

 How desirable it would be to have a class of perpetual 

 climbing cluster roses, sufficiently hardy to stand the frost 

 of our winters, and take the place of the musk, the Noisette, 

 the Champney and others, which form such beautiful orna- 

 ments of our grounds, but which are with such difficulty 

 protected even so far south as here, at Washington. 



It has long been my opinion, that, with a little attention 

 it will prove superior to anything yet tried in this country 

 for live fences. Three or four years attention, in good 

 ground, will render it impervious to the strongest animals, 

 such is the luxuriance of its growth, and so abundantly 

 armed with strong prickles ; — and when we have produced 



