THE MOSS ROSE. 
33b 
above the usual expenditure will be retained in the 
country and expended in the home market this 
season, contributing thus to the welfare of the 
community at large. But to prove, my Lord, that 
this calculation is not fallacious, we have positive 
corroboration of the fact, by taking the official re¬ 
turn of imports of foreign flax for the last four 
years, which shows a gradual decrease, and in a 
ratio commensurate with the Society’s successful 
exertions to increase the growth and promote its 
better preparation at home. It was stated before a 
committee of the House of Commons in 1840, that 
the amount of the importation of foreign flax from 
all the Continent furnishing into Great Britain, was 
80,000 tons; in 1841 it was much under this 
amount; in 1842 it was in round numbers but 
67,000; and in 1843, 55,000 tons. Here we have 
facts substantiating the former views that we are 
gradually becoming more independent of the 
foreign supply; and I can affirm on the experience 
of the past and practical knowledge acquired by an 
agriculturist abroad and at home, that no reason 
exists whatever why the whole quantity of the raw 
material required to keep our manufactories in full 
employment, may not be produced at home, both in 
quantity and quality, and thus the great drain of 
wealth, the purchasing of it from foreign countries 
(countries, too, with whom we have no reciprocal 
transactions), may be checked and circulated at 
home to the enrichment of our farmers, and weal 
of Ireland. Let there be, therefore, no cessation of 
exertion to raise the supply required, and be assur¬ 
ed that we have both the climate and the soil to 
grow it to any perfection, if but due skill and atten¬ 
tion are given to it. But look at these specimens 
of flax, and those beautiful fabrics which I brought 
with me, as samples of what the Irish farmer can 
produce, and the Irish weaver can turn out. No 
country in the world can surpass them. This linen 
of 28vo, was woven near Lisburn, and this cambric 
at Lurgan—the prize pieces were even finer. The 
linen that obtained the medal of the Royal Agricul¬ 
tural Society was 30vo, and will be presented to 
her Majesty. At the recommendation of the Flax 
Committee, the Royal Agricultural Society gave 
premiums for yarns at their late meeting, the object 
of which was to try if the description of yarn made 
use of in the manufacturing of cambrics could not 
be furnished at home. It is of a quality the mill¬ 
spinning cannot produce, and some £30,000 worth 
has now to be imported annually for the cambric 
factories at Lurgan, Warringstown, and elsewhere, 
that are so successfully competing with and exclud¬ 
ing the French and other foreign countries from the 
English market. The result was most gratifying. 
Some forty specimens of spinning on the old system 
were sent in, and the lowest number of them was 
23 hanks to the lb., and up so high as 41 hanks. 
Now from 16 to 30 hanks to the lb. is what is re¬ 
quired, and if the count could be depended upon, 
and quality be equal, 40 hanks at any time would 
find a good market, and the poor industrious woman 
make the value for her husband’s fine flax of a lb. 
not worth 6c/., amount to 20s. or 30s. New re¬ 
sources are thus opening out for our people, and 
those of this fine country becoming daily further 
developed. In conclusion, I would just direct at¬ 
tention to these flax machines which Lord Erne has 
kindly taken as models for you. The beetling one 
will save you much labor, and no mill can do its 
work so well—the rippling combs, I hope also to 
hear will be in great use next season, even if you 
can afford to throw away the bolls of your flax, 
then take them off, as no flax can be properly 
handled with them on. It should be done at the 
time of pulling, or if the flax is dried and stacked, 
then they must be threshed out carefully like grain, 
but without untying the beets.— Condensed from 
Warnes ’ Treatise. 
THE MOSS ROSE. 
The Moss Rose ( Rosa centifolia muscosa ), oi 
Mossy Provence Rose, is most probably an acci¬ 
dental sport or seminal variety of the common Pro¬ 
vence Rose, as the Old Double Provence Rose, 
which was introduced to England from Holland in 
1596, is the only one mentioned by early writers 
on gardening. If it had any claims to be ranked 
as a botanical species, the single-flowering Moss 
Rose would most probably have been the first 
known and described; but the single moss, as com¬ 
pared with the double, is a new variety. The year 
1724 is recorded by botanists as the date of its intro¬ 
duction, of rather of its being first noticed in Europe, 
and Miller mentions it in 1727. Some few years 
since a traveller in Portugal mentioned that the 
Moss Rose grew wild in the neighborhood of 
Cintra; but most likely the plants were stragglers 
from some garden, as I have never seen this asser¬ 
tion properly authenticated. The origin of the 
Double Moss Rose, like that of the Old Double 
Yellow Rose ( Rosa sulphurea), is therefore left to 
conjecture; for gardeners in those days did not 
publish to the world the result of their operations 
and discoveries. As regards the Moss Rose this is 
a subject of regret, for it would be very interesting 
to know how and where this general favorite 
originated. Probably, when first noticed, garden¬ 
ing was of such small consideration, that the dis¬ 
covery of a rose, however remarkable, would not 
be thought worth registering. That it is merely an 
accidental sport of the common Provence Rose is 
strengthened by the fact, that plants produced by 
the seed of the Moss Rose do not always show 
moss; perhaps not more than two plants out of 
three will be mossy, as has been often proved. 
Those that are not so are most evidently pure Pro¬ 
vence Roses, possessing all their characters. To 
show, also, the singular propensity of the varieties 
of Rosa centifolia to vary, I may here mention that 
the common Moss Rose often produces shoots en¬ 
tirely destitute of moss, Mr. Rivers makes mention 
of his having observed a luxuriant branch of the 
Crimson or Damask, which is generally more 
mossy than the Old Moss Rose, that presented a 
remarkable appearance, being almost smooth. The 
next season it had entirely lost its moss, and had 
produced semi-double flowers, the exact resem¬ 
blance of the Scarlet Provence. The White Moss 
is another instance of this singular quality, for that 
originated from a sporting branch ; the Mossy de 
Meaux is also a curious deviation, and the Crested 
Moss or Provence, is another case in point. It 
seems, therefore, very feasible, that the Provence 
Rose, from being cultivated in Italy through so 
many ages, produced from seed, or more probably 
