GENERAL CULTURE OF THE ROSE. 



69 



other. We have not grown this variety, but take the 

 description from the Horticultural Annual for 1868. 



JanCt — Very double, of a deep rosy lilac. 



Mrs. Hovey. — This has large white flowers, and all the 

 vigor of its class. 



Pride of Washington. — A rosy lilac, and double. 



There are several other varieties in this class, but the 

 preceding are the best. 



CHAPTER ni. 

 GENERAL CULTURE OF THE ROSE. 



As before stated, the Rose was the theme of the earli- 

 est j)oets of antiquity ; and it was doubtless one of the 

 first plants selected to adorn the gardens which were laid 

 out around the new habitations constructed upon the ex- 

 chanofe of the wandering^ for a civilized mode of life. 



The most ancient authors upon husbandry, whose works 

 are extant, have all treated of the culture of Roses : Theo- 

 phrastus among the Greeks ; and among the Romans, 

 Varro, Columella, Palladius, and Pliny. To Pliny are we 

 specially indebted for information on this subject, as the 

 entire fourth chapter of the twentieth book of his Natu- 

 ral History is devoted to Roses ; and they are also occa- 

 sionally mentioned in other parts of the work. But after 

 all the information thus obtained, much yet remains to be 

 desired; and although we find in other ancient authors 

 some curious facts bearing upon other points in the his- 

 tory of the Rose, they are mostly so general in their 

 character as to give us very little insight into the actual 

 culture of the Rose at those periods. 



