THE AUSTRALIAN GARDENER. 
May, 1910. 
‘“ Mcrweille de Lyon” Rose. 
THE ROSE AND ITS USES. 
Not only for its color or odor has the 
most favorite of our flowers endued the 
test of time. ‘There are in the Rose 
medical properties, astringent and tonic 
in character. The Pharmacopovia indicates 
three kinds as usual - the Rose canina, or 
common Dog Roze: the R, Gallica, or 
French red Rose; and the R, centifolia, or 
Cabbage Rose. Of the Dog Rose the yalu- 
able part is the fruit from which the hairy 
A 
a 
achenia is removed and the fleshy calyx 
beaten to a pulpy consistency and mixed 
with sngar. ‘Thus is produced a conserve, 
containing malic and citric acids, and said 
to be slightly refregerent and aperient: 
Thejfresh seeds of this Rose are in some 
parts made into an infusion, and the mild 
astringent drink is used by those who in 
swampy districts suffer from malaria. 
At one tine the district about Mitcham 
in Surrey, supplied large quantities of 
petals of the R. Gallica and the R. Damas- | 
cena for the London herb market, these 
being purchased by herbalists for the con- 
coction for their drugs. The process of 
the preparation of the flowers is curious. 
Before they expand the buds are plucked 
and the cilyx and base of the petals 
removed, he flower is then dried as 
quickly as possible in order to preserve its 
astringency, fine oroma, and color. It is 
caloulated that about 2,000 buds yield 100 
1b. of petals, and that these when dry weigh 
10 lb, The taste of the herb is bitter, 
Another curious use is made of the same 
buds, Itis found that combined with 
Se 5G ae 
eS 
—S— —_ 32S 
