28 THE BOOK OF THE ROSE chap. 



constant freedom of bloom, early, late, and through- 

 out the season. 



Many varieties were issued in past years, but, 

 besides the two types, Mrs. Bosanquet, of a waxy 

 ivory tint, was generally considered the only one 

 worth growing. Laurette Messimy (Guillot, 1887), 

 however, showed an improvement, a pretty button- 

 hole Eose, pink shaded with yellow, very free- 

 blooming ; and several other varieties have since 

 been added, of which Madame Eugene Eesal 

 (Guillot, 1895) is perhaps the best. Very little 

 pruning is required for the true Chinas. 



The Lawrenceana, or Fairy Bose, also introduced 

 from China about 1810, is simply a China Eose in 

 miniature. These little toys are often sold in pots in 

 the markets, and should not be confounded with the 

 miniature Provence, which bloom only once : for the 

 Fairy Eoses are true Chinas, and if kept in health 

 are ever in bloom. They are best perhaps in pots, 

 but are sometimes successfully grown in rich warm 

 soils as edgings. 



The Tea Bose (E. indica odorata). — This most cele- 

 brated group, the true aristocracy of the Eose world, 

 was also introduced from China about the year 1810. 

 The first one was pink, and in 1824 the Yellow Tea 

 Eose was imported. 



There can be no doubt that both of these origin- 

 ated from the China Eose, and for many years the 

 group was known as the Tea Scented China. They 

 are like the China group in habit, but differ from it 

 in being more susceptible to frost, and having the 

 peculiar fragrance said to be like that of a newly 

 opened tea-chest. It seems strange and suggestive 

 that Eoses with this scent should have originated in 



