CHARACTERISTICS OF A FINE ROSE. 
31 
CHARACTERISTICS OF A FINE ROSE. 
There is no flower more difficult to define than the Rose, and the 
difficulty arises out of several curious facts. First, it is the only flower 
that is beautiful in all its stages—from the instant the calyx bursts and 
shows a streak of the corolla, till it is in full bloom. Secondly, it is 
the only one that is really rich in its confusion, or that is not the less 
elegant for the total absence of all uniformity and order. The very 
fact of its being beautiful from the moment the calyx bursts, makes 
the single and semi-double roses, up to a certain stage, as good as 
the perfectly double ones; and there is yet another point in the forma¬ 
tion of some varieties, which makes them lose their beauty when they 
are full blown. For instance, the Moss Rose is a magnificent object 
so long as the calyx is all seen, but so soon as the flower fully expands, 
all the distinction between a Moss Rose and a common one has de¬ 
parted, or is concealed. This brings us at once to an acknowledg¬ 
ment that the grand characteristic of a Moss Rose is its calyx. These 
properties must never be estimated by full-blown flowers, and there¬ 
fore, all varieties of Moss Roses must be exhibited before they expand 
enough to hide the calyx. 
There are some properties, however, which apply to all roses, what¬ 
ever be their characteristics in other respects, and, therefore, must be 
taken as an estimable point in the construction of a flower. 
1. The petals should be thick, broad, and smooth at the edges. 
Whether this be for. a Moss, which is never to be shown fully 
opened, or the florist’s favorite, which is to be shown as a dahlia, thi? 
property is equally valuable, be use the thicker the petal, the longer 
it is opening, and the longer does it co tinue in perfection, when it if 
opened. There is another essential point gained in thiek-petalled 
flowers: The thicker the petal, the more dense and decided the shadp 
or color, 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 dependent on their single thickness. 
2. The flower should be highly perfumed, or, as the dealers call it* 
fragrant 
