THE EOSE AND ITS CULTURE. 



35 



stigma. The hip, then, of the Rose consists of a vase- 

 like swelling of the top of the flower-stalk, bearing 

 the sepals, petals, and stamens from a rim just within 

 the edge of the vase, and bearing the true seed- 

 vessels, or "carpels," at the bottom. The nearest 

 approach to this peculiar fruit is in the Fomacece 

 (including the apple and 

 pear), where we have 

 pretty much the same 

 structure, but with this 

 difference : that whereas 

 in the Rose the carpels 

 are free from the vase 

 within which they are 

 included, in the Pomacece 

 they are embedded within 

 its fleshy substance, and 

 form the " core " of the 

 apple or pear (Fig. 2). If 

 we add to the peculiarity 

 of fruit just mentioned 

 the circumstance that the 

 species of Rosa are all of 

 them shrubs with com- 

 pound foliage — that is, 

 (with one exception) 

 the individual leaves are 

 not in one piece, but each 

 leaf branches into sepa- 

 rate leaflets (Fig. 3) — we 

 have said enough to en- 

 able any one to recognise 

 a Rose, and to dis- 

 tinguish it from 

 any other genus 

 yet known. Our 

 forefathers at- 

 tempted to define 

 a Rose according 

 to the flower, as 

 superficial obser- 

 vers would do even 

 now; but by so 

 doing they jumbled 

 up together all 

 sorts of things, 

 many ha\'ing no 

 more real relationship one to the other than a 

 cabbage to a cocoa-palm. The real marks of dis- 

 tinction are those here stated. 



Having now endeavoured to convey an accurate 

 notion as to what constitutes a Rose in a botanical 

 sense, we may next call attention to some of the 

 more important characteristics of the species, re- 

 ferring the reader for fuller details to strictly 

 botanical works. 



Fig. 2,— Slice lengthwise through, an Apple, showing the 

 globular fleshy receptacle (pome) in which the carpels 

 are embedded. At c and at st are the withered remnants 

 of the calyx and of the stamens respectively ; tc shows 

 the fleshy part of the receptacle ; p is the rind of the 

 receptacle ; m, the fleshy portion ; e, the core or true 

 seed-vessel : s, the seed. 



Fig. 3.— Compound (pinnate) Leaf of a Eose, showing two pairs and one 

 terminal leaflet, st are the leaf-scales or stipules springing from the 

 sides of the petiole or leaf-stalk. 



The Root. — The root of a Rose in its early stages, 

 soon after its emission from the seed, is a tap-root, 

 i.e., one having the form of a long cone, with a stoutish 

 trunk descending relatively to a considerable depth, 

 and giving off numerous branches at a somewhat 

 obtuse angle. The root is thus so organised as to 

 secure firm attachment to 

 the soil, and a supply of 

 nutriment at various 

 depths. The root of a 

 Rose (we are speaking 

 more particularly of wild 

 ones) is well equipped 

 for taking part in the 

 competition with other 

 vegetable forms. As the 

 plant grows, the base of 

 the stem and the upper 

 part of the root become 

 more and more woody, 

 and ultimately form a 

 thick ' ' root-stock, ' ' which 

 does not itself absorb 

 food, but which serves as 

 a store-place for the food, 

 which is derived partly 

 from matters taken up 

 by the root -hairs and 

 finest root-fibrils, partly 

 by the aid of gases ab- 

 sorbed fi'om the atmos- 

 phere by the leaves. By 

 this conjoint 

 agency of leaves 

 and root nutritive 

 matter is formed, 

 and those portions 

 of it which are not 

 used up by the 

 growing plant are 

 stored in the reser- 

 voir afforded by 

 the younger and 

 outer portions of 

 the woody stems, 

 and more particu- 

 larly in the root^ 

 There they remain till requisitioned in 

 spring to supply the needs of the growing parts. 

 The thick butt-end of a Rose- stock, as taken from 

 the hedge-row for purposes of "budding," has hence 

 a degree of utility beyond what is often recognised. 



The Stem and Branches. — The modifications 

 of the stem and its branches contribute especially to 

 the " habit " of Roses. The branches may be erect 



stock. 



