ROSA HEMISPHAERICA 
genuine old Double Yellow Rose. In unfavourable soils, it will often flourish and 
bloom freely if budded on the Musk Rose, the common China Rose, or some free 
growing hybrid China Rose ; but the following pretty method of culture I beg to 
suggest. Bud or graft it on some short stems of the Rosa Manet ti. In the 
Autumn pot some of the strongest plants ; and, late in Spring, force them with 
a gentle heat, giving plenty of air. It will now also be very interesting to plant 
trees of this variety in orchard houses : this seems to me to be the exact climate 
required by it. By this method, the dry and warm climate of Florence and Genoa 
may perhaps be partially imitated ; for there it blooms in such profusion, that 
large quantities of its magnificent flowers are daily sold in the markets during the 
Rose-season.” 1 
Rosa hemisphaerica is now a very rare Rose, although even in the 
early part of the nineteenth century it was fairly common in English 
gardens. It was a great favourite with the Dutch flower-painters. 
In cultivation it is always copiously double, but it is rarely seen to 
advantage in England, and has never been known to produce seeds. 
In southern Europe, however, it is strikingly beautiful, and at T resserve 
the bushes are literally covered with rich golden globes. The stems 
are weak in proportion to the size and weight of the blossoms, which 
renders them liable to be spoilt by the slightest rain, for when once 
the expanding buds have been touched by water the flower rots without 
coming to maturity. This circumstance and the fact that it is very 
difficult to propagate may be the reason why this once-popular Rose 
lost favour and had to make way for new varieties better able to with- 
stand the conditions of our English climate. Although moisture 
injures the flower-buds, it appears to be essential to the roots, and 
plants grown where there is abundance of moisture gain in vigour 
and health. Sir Joseph Banks noticed it flowering luxuriantly on 
marsh ground. Sir James Smith , 2 on the contrary, says he has seen 
it flourishing to perfection on poor gravelly soil, exposed to east winds 
and where no care was taken of the plant. 
There is an old story of a lady going to the play wearing in 
her dress a bud of the Sulphur Rose which opened during the 
representation. 
The Botanical Register 3 contains an excellent plate followed 
by a most interesting account of this Rose, and Andrews 4 gives a 
characteristic representation of it under the name of Rosa sulplmrea. 
1 Rose Amateurs Guide , ed. II, pp. 59-61 (1877). 
2 Rees’ Encyclopedia , voi. xxx. (1819). 
3 Vol. i. t. 46 (1815) 
4 Vol. ii. t. 91 (1828). 
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