ROSARY. 



751 



found it nearly smooth. The next season it had 

 entirely lost its moss, and had produced semi- 

 double flowers, the exact resemblance of the 

 scarlet Provence. The white moss is another 

 instance of this singular quality, for that ori- 

 ginated from a sporting branch ; the Mossy de 

 Meaux is also a curious deviation." This pretty 

 little moss was found in a garden at Taunton in 

 1814, and was in all possibility a sport from the 

 old Rose de Meaux, and not from seed, as it 

 does not produce seed in this country. The 

 white moss, and the crested moss (Rosa cres- 

 tata), are evidently sports in the same way ; the 

 latter being accidentally found growing out of 

 an old wall at Friburg in Switzerland. The 

 crimson damask moss originated accidentally in 

 a garden at Tinwell in Rutlandshire, and was 

 long cultivated under the name of the Tinwell 

 moss. The miniature moss originated with Mi- 

 Rivers in his endeavours to raise a superior 

 variety of the single moss-rose. The white Bath 

 moss is the result of a sporting branch of the 

 common moss ; and the Moss Unique de Pro- 

 vence is probably a sport from the old Rose 

 unique. Many of the other mosses have been 

 raised from seed in France, particularly in the 

 Luxembourg gardens, and their origin pretty 

 clearly identified. A most extensive family 

 of rose3, and from the great number of new 

 hybrids recently added, become a very varied 

 class, many of them partaking largely of the 

 habits of the French and hybrid Chinas, and, 

 therefore, well adapted for growing as pillar 

 roses. Like the Provence, they require high 

 cultivation, their beauty amply repaying the 

 attention accorded them. Some of the section 

 are remarkable for their vigour of growth; these 

 should be pruned very little, removing the 

 weaker shoots, and bending down the strongest, 

 which will induce an abundance of bloom. The 

 moderate and weaker-growing varieties require 

 to be pruned close in. They are very different 

 in constitution : some are of very delicate growth, 

 and will only flourish in a kindly soil ; others 

 are very hardy, but all of them delight in & 

 rich soil, and require high cultivation. 



The French rose (Rosa gallica). — Indigenous 

 to the hedges of France and Italy. Supposed 

 to be the Rosa Millesiana of Pliny, and amongst 

 the earliest introduced to our gardens. This 

 section contains a large amount of our variegated 

 varieties ; indeed, from Rosa gallica versicolor 

 (our Rosa Mundi) all our variegated roses of 

 this section have sprung. This is the most 

 extensive family of roses at present known, 

 and almost unequalled for perfection of form 

 and richness of colour. Mr Wood observes of 

 them : " To the amateur and those who cultivate 

 for exhibition they are altogether indispensable. 

 Being of robust growth and erect habit, they are 

 very suitable for standards in situations where 

 formality of style is preserved. Dwarf plants 

 are well "adapted for beds : they require liberal 

 cultivation, and to be pruned rather freely." 



Hybrid Provence rose (Rosa centifolia hybrida). 

 — This fine division of roses are hybrids between 

 the French and Provence roses. Nearly all the 

 varieties produce large, well formed, and very 

 fragrant flowers. Some of them are vigorous 



growers, and are therefore well adapted for grow- 

 ing as pillar or pole roses. They are of easy 

 culture, and require to be moderately pruned. 



Hybrid China rose (Rosa indica hybrida). — This 

 section owes its origin to the Bourbon, China, 

 and Tea-scented Noisette, crossed with the 

 French, Provence, and other summer roses, and 

 also to the latter crossed with the former. The 

 varieties first obtained by this crossing arose 

 from accident. Of late years, however, the pro- 

 cess has been carried on upon more certain and 

 correct principles. Mr Rivers, in speaking of 

 these hybrids, remarks : " They give a long con- 

 tinuance of bloom, but they never put forth 

 secondary or autumnal flowers. This is a most 

 peculiarly distinguishing trait, and an inter- 

 esting fact. Impregnate a Bourbon, China, or 

 Noisette rose, all abundant autumnal bloomers, 

 with the farina of a French or Provence rose, 

 and you entirely take away the tendeucy of 

 autumnal blooming in their offspring." The 

 plants of this section are of very vigorous habit, 

 and make magnificent objects when trained as 

 pillar or pole roses. This vigour must be coun- 

 teracted, when they are grown as standards, by 

 training the shoots downwards in shape of an 

 inverted cone. In pruning, they should be well 

 thinned out, shortening the flowering-shoots, 

 however, but little. Many of the flowers in this 

 section combine all the properties desired in the 

 rose — viz., size, form, fulness, and exquisite 

 colouring. 



Hybrid Bourbon (Rosa Bourboniana hybrida). 

 — This very splendid family of roses owes its 

 origin to the Bourbon rose, which is itself a 

 hybrid. Coupe d'Hebe may be given as a spe- 

 cimen of this family, which for the disposition 

 and regularity of its petals is quite unique. 

 They differ from the hybrid Chinas in the greater 

 substance of their flowers and foliage, but, like 

 them, are remarkable for the abundance and 

 beauty of their flowers. They require much the 

 same treatment, but require to be more closely 

 pruned in. 



White rose (Rosa alba). — The original species 

 is a native of the central parts of Europe, and 

 was introduced to Britain in 1597 — a small but 

 very beautiful section, of which the Celestial rose 

 may be regarded as the type. They are, how- 

 ever, not all white flowered, some being blush, 

 flesh, and pink coloured. Readily distinguished 

 from all other roses by the glaucous appearance 

 of the foliage, which appears as if covered with a 

 greyish impalpable powder, and the shoots being 

 almost spineless. They are hardy and of easy 

 cultivation, and being for the most part of mo- 

 derate growth, should be pruned pretty closely in. 



The Damask rose (Rosa Damascena). — The 

 original single-flowered species is a native of 

 Syria, introduced into Europe in 1573. It is 

 now, as formerly, largely cultivated in the gar- 

 dens of Damascus, where, as is well known, it ia 

 cultivated for the purpose of making rose-water, 

 attar of roses, &c. If Sanuto, a Venetian author, 

 is deserving of credit, no less than five hundred 

 camel-loads of this precious water were employed 

 by Saladin, after the taking of Jerusalem from 

 the Crusaders, to purify the walls of the Mosque 

 of Omer, which had been used as a Christian 



