Miscellaneous* 



74 



[January, 1909. 



R. Centifolia, a native of the Caucasus, 

 contributing its share. Under natural 

 circumstances rose flowers do not secrete 

 honey, the attraction for insects being 

 provided, according to Muller, by the 

 colour and perfume and the abundance 

 of pollen for food. 



The cultivation of the rose affords 

 employment to thousands of human 

 beings- cultivation for the table and 

 for the manufacture of attar and rose 

 water. R. damascene is cultivated in 

 soma parts of Roumelia and in India, 

 chiefly near Ghazipur, for the purpose 

 of making attar and rosewater. Drury 

 mentions that it takes 200,000 roses to 

 yield the weight of a rupee in attar and 

 this quantity sells on the spot for R100. 

 In Europe rose water is chiefly produced 

 from R. Centifolia, grown for the pur- 

 pose at Micham, and much more abun- 

 dantly in the South of Prance. Conserve 

 of roses and infusion of roses, two 

 medicinal preparations retained for 

 their agreeable qualities rather than for 

 any special virtue, are prepared from 

 the petals of H. rjallica, -says an old 

 writer. Conserve of dog roses is made 

 from the„ ripe hips of the dog rose, 

 R. canina. Its only use is 



IN THE MANUFACTURE OP FILLS. 



The cosmopolitian character of the rose 

 is wellknown and it flourishes equally 

 well in sub-Alpine as in equatorial re- 

 gions ; and the patient skill of cultiva- 

 tors has been successful in depriving it 

 of one of its attributes— it has ceased to 

 be an emblem of Summer, " pride of the 

 Summer, garden queen." By making 

 careful selections of species and rearing 

 hybrids, varieties deservedly called Per- 

 petual have been obtained, and, so far 

 as cold countries are concerned, roses 

 can be got now at any season. 



Of all plants grown in Ceylon for the 

 sake of their flowers, as in other coun- 

 tries, none have gained so much admira- 

 tion as the rose. It has been rightly 

 said that a garden without roses is a 

 misnomer. But how many there are in 

 this country who, possessing the 

 material, do not set about in the right 

 way of doing things. By far the most 

 effective way of growing roses is to have 

 them distributed through every part of 

 the garden. 



The rose is propagated by seeds, cut- 

 tings, layers and suckers (in the case of 

 plants on their own roots), and by bud- 

 ding and grafting. Seed-sowing is only 

 had recourse to with a view of obtaining 

 improved varieties. Layering is per- 

 formed by simply bending the shoot or 

 shoots, desired to root down to the 

 ground, cutting the same half way 



through longitudinally and pegging it 

 down at that point, so that the wounded 

 surface shall come in contact with the 

 sandy soil, watering in dry weather 

 to keep the soil moist. After it has 

 rooted effect separation with a clean cut. 

 Budding and grafting are the modus 

 operandi generally followed at the per- 

 petuation of the rose and many choice 

 trees and shrubs as well. These methods, 

 however, had better be left to expert 

 growers, and we will proceed to the 



UNIVERSAL SYSTEM OP PROPAGATION. 



There is no difficulty in raising one's 

 own roses from cuttings. The cutting 

 should be prepared by clipping off side 

 shoots, but do not remove the leaves ; 

 six or eight inches is long enough for a 

 cutting ; see that it is cut off straight at 

 the base just below a knot or bud, or 

 left as it has been slipped off the branch 

 taken off with a heel, that is with a little 

 of the old ripened wood attached. 



The rose grows vigorously in most kinds 

 of soil. Good ordinary garden soil will 

 produce the rose large enough, but to 

 grow it into perfection a bed should be 

 previously prepared. The rose does best 

 in a light free soil, a little fresh, amended 

 from time to time with some well- 

 decomposed manure. A calcareous soil 

 is especially recommended. Delicate 

 varieties do best in fertile, sandy soils, 

 and in peat earth. The dog rose grows 

 vigorously in stiff earth. Por nearly 

 all ropes, however, the soil can scarcely 

 be too rich. The plants delight in a 

 stiff loam liberally incorporated with 

 manure, and no excellencies of variety, 

 climate, or culture can compensate 

 for the absence of this indispensable 

 resideratum. Where the natural soil is 

 light and sandy, the whole bed should 

 be removed to a depth of two feet, and 

 replaced with the richest natural fibrous 

 loam at hand, or leaf mould, thoroughly 

 mixed with decomposed dung. The 



MOST SUITABLE SOIL POR GROWING 

 ROSES 



in the ground is that which is called a 

 clay loam, that is, which is neither 

 black soil nor sandy soil. A clay loam 

 is more retentive and does not dry so 

 soon as sandy soil. A sunny position 

 with free wind is desirable ; shade 

 and closeness induce a number of 

 fungoid and insect diseases. Thorough 

 preparation of the soil with manure is 

 desirable however suitable the soil itself 

 may be. The bed should be clear of the 

 roots of surrounding trees which would 

 impoverish the soil and rob the plants 

 of the nutriment intended for them. 

 This could be guarded against by cutting 

 a deep drain round the beds. After the 

 bed has been prepared open a shallow 



