THE STORY OF THE MODERN ROSE 5 



Bourbon, doubtless from India, during the eighteenth 

 century. 



The Bengal Rose was known to Gronovius in 1704, 

 and came into cultivation in Haarlem in 1781, having 

 probably been introduced by Dutch East-Indiamen. 

 But, preoccupied with their Tulips and other bulbous 

 plants the Dutch have done little toward developing 

 the modern Rose. In 1789, Sir Joseph Banks intro- 

 duced it into England and, chronologically, our story 

 here begins. 



In 1789, the Crimson China Monthly (Rosa chin- 

 ensis, var. semperflorens) , through the captain of an Eng- 

 lish East-Indiaman, came into the possession of Gilbert 

 Slater, Esq. In 1804, Thomas Evans sent from China 

 to England through the same agency the first Rambler 

 Rose (Rosa multiflora, var. carnea). In 1809, Sir 

 Abraham Hume received from China through a 

 similar agency the first Tea-scented Rose, which 

 had double pink flowers and was christened Rosa 

 odorata. And, to complete the independent activities 

 of the English East India Company, between 1815 

 and 1817 Charles Francis Greville, Esq., received 

 from China a Rambler Rose (Rosa multiflora, var. 

 platyphylla) which enjoyed lasting popularity under the 

 name of Seven Sisters and by which name it will 

 be remembered by many readers of these pages. 



