8 3 — SCOTCH ROSES 
The name of Scotch Rose or Scots Rose, given to a section of 
the group Sftinosissmiae, originated with the hybrids raised by Robert 
Brown of Perth from the native Burnet Rose crossed with some double 
garden Roses. In 1820 Sabine read before the Horticultural Society 
a most interesting paper upon the varieties of the Double Scotch 
Roses, 1 in which he thus relates the circumstances ol their introduction : 
“ In the year 1793, Robert Brown of Perth and his brother transplanted some 
of the wild Scotch Roses from the Hill of Kinnoul, in the neighbourhood of Perth, 
into their nursery-garden : one of these bore flowers slightly tinged with red, from 
which a plant was raised, whose flowers exhibited a monstrosity, appearing as if 
one or two flowers came from one bud, which was a little tinged with red : these 
produced seed, from whence some semi-double flowering plants were obtained ; 
and by continuing a selection of seed, and thus raising new plants, they in 1802 
and 1803 had eight good double varieties to dispose of; of these they subsequently 
increased the number, and from the stock in the Perth garden the nurseries both of 
Scotland and England were first supplied.” 
Sabine arranged these Roses in sections according to the colour 
of the flowers. He enumerates twenty-six varieties which he classes 
in seven sections : 
I. Double White Scotch Roses. 
II. Double Yellow Scotch Roses. 
III. Double Blush Scotch Roses. 
IV. Double Red Scotch Roses. 
V. Double Marbled Scotch Roses. 
VI. Double Two-coloured Scotch Roses. 
VII. Double Dark-coloured Scotch Roses. 
In most cases he used names which indicated the colours of the 
flowers, as “True Double Red,” “Double Light Red,” “Double 
Dark Red.” This system has certain obvious drawbacks, and it is a 
pity that he did not at least add the popular names for purposes of 
identification. Of these twenty-six varieties all except three were of 
British origin. Contemporary events in France were not conducive 
to the peaceful pursuit of gardening in that country, but with the 
advent of more settled times it was not long before those excellent 
gardeners, Vibert, Descemet, Prevost, Laflay, and others were raising 
1 Trans. Hort. Soc. Nov. 7, 1820. 
251 
