THE CULTIVATION AND MANAGEMENT OF ROSES. 
251 
flowers : — The thicker the petal the more dense 
and decided the shade or colour, or the more 
pure a white, while the most brilliant scarlet 
would look tame and watery if the petal, 
were thin, transparent, and flimsy. Hence 
many semi-double varieties, with these petals, 
look bright enough while the petals are crowded 
in the bud, but are watery and tame when 
opened, and dependant on their single thick- 
ness. 
" 2. The flower should be highly perfumed, 
or, as the dealers call it, fragrant." 
Whether this is to climb the front of a house, 
bloom on the ground, or mount poles or other 
devices, fragrance is one of the great charms 
which place the Rose on the throne of the gar- 
den as the queen of flowers. 
" 3. The flower should be double to the 
centre, high on the crown, round in the out- 
line, and regular in the disposition of the 
petals." 
This would seem to be a little contradictory, 
after saying that in a Moss-rose, the full- 
blown flower cannot be allowed, because it 
conceals the grand characteristic of the plant. 
But it is not contradictory, because we defend 
it on grounds which render doubleness equally 
valuable to the moss family, which should not 
be shown in full bloom, as to those which are 
so exhibited. The more double the flower, 
even when amounting to confusion, the more 
full and beautiful the bud in all its stages. 
Those who have noticed the single and semi- 
double Moss-roses will remember that the 
buds are thin and pointed, and starved-looking 
affairs, while the old common Moss-rose, which 
is large and double as the Cabbage -rose, is bold, 
full, rich, and effective, from the instant the 
calyx bursts. At this point, we shall have to 
branch off and take families ; perhaps the Moss 
family is the best to commence with. Those 
who now follow through the different species or 
varieties, will find the first three rules are 
essential to all, and are therefore repeated 
with each division. 
PROPERTIES OF MOSS ROSES. 
" 1. The petals should be thick, broad, and 
smooth at the edges." 
" 2. The flower should be highly perfumed, 
or, as the dealers call it, fragrant." 
" 3. The flower should be double to the 
centre, high on the crown, round in the out- 
line, and regular in the disposition of the 
petals." 
"4. The quantity of moss, the length of 
the spines, or prickles, which form it, 
and its thickness, or closeness, on the steins, 
leaves, and calyx, cannot be too great." 
This being the distinguishing characteristic 
of Moss-roses, the more strongly it is developed 
the better. 
" o. The length of the divisions of the calyx, 
and the ramifications at the end, cannot be too 
great." 
As the entire beauty is in the undeveloped 
bud, the more the calyx projects beyond the 
opening flower, or rather the more space it 
covers, the better. 
Diagram of a fine double Rose. 
"6. The plant should be bushy, the foliage 
strong, the flowers abundant and not crowded, 
and the bloom well out of the foliage." 
" 7. The colour should be bright or dense, 
as the case may be, and if the colour or shade 
be new, it will be more valuable; and the 
colour must be the same at the back as the 
front of the petals." 
These seven properties would constitute a 
Moss-rose a valuable acquisition, and probably, 
at present, the greatest acquisition would be a 
yellow one. 
" 8. The stem should be strong and elastic, 
the footstalks stiff, so as to hold the flower 
well up to view." 
PROPERTIES OP ROSES FOR STANDS, SHOWING 
THE SINGLE BLOOM LIKE DAHLIAS. 
" 1 The petals should be thick, broad, and 
smooth at the edges." 
" 2. The flower should be highly perfumed, 
or, as the dealers call it, fragrant." 
" 3. The flower should be double to the 
centre, high on the crown, round in the out- 
line, and regular in the disposition of the 
petals." 
