the middle of November, it excited only laughter and disdain among the Romans. So abundant were they then in Rome, that, to quote Martial, 'In all the streets we inhale the perfumes of spring, and see sparkling the fresh garlands of flowers; send us wheat, Egyptians, and we will send you roses.

'Let not thy winters, Nile, then vie with ours;

Go plough, and send us corn-we'll send the flowers.' It seems, also, that the Romans forced flowers by means of hot water, in their forcing houses, so as to produce roses and lilies in December, for Seneca † declaims against these inventions. Martial also says, book 12, epigram 127, 'That roses, formerly only seen in spring, had in his time. become common during the winter.' If we may thus judge from the ancients, our autumnal and our winter roses, and even our forcing by hot water, which has been thought to be so recent an invention, are all of high antiquity; but, if we may credit Pliny and others, the Romans could not approach us in variety. The rose of Pæstum, the Rosa bifera alluded to by Virgil,‡ appears to have been the only autumnal rose known. This, according to Pliny, bloomed in the spring, and again in the autumn. Many botanists have * Martial, book vi. epigram 80.

Non vivunt contra naturam, qui hieme concupiscunt rosam. Fomentoque aquarum calentium, et calorum apta imitatione, bruma lilium florem vernum exprimunt?'-Epist. cxxii. 8. Georgics, book iv. verse 18.

*

6

searched for this rose near the ruins of Pæstum, and other parts of Italy, but no species or variety has been found at all approaching to it in character. Our very old Damask Rose, the Red Monthly, not the comparatively new rose, Rose à Quatre Saisons' of the French, but the Red Monthly rose of our oldest writers on gardening, is probably the rose which was cultivated so extensively in Egypt and in Rome for its quality of flowering in autumn. I have frequently observed the stools of this variety, when pruned late in spring, not only to flower in June and September, but also in the latter month to put forth branches, which in October were covered with flower buds. Now these, owing to our cold rains in November, never come to perfection; but in the warm climates of Egypt and Italy, they would doubtless bloom abundantly even as late as November. Modern gardening has made rapid strides in rose culture: our varieties of autumnal roses are already almost innumerable; and among them are the most fragrant and beautiful roses known.

THE PERPETUAL MOSS ROSE.

A NEW race of moss roses has within these few years sprung up, and likely to be very interesting. They are not abundant autumnal bloomers, but

These are old plants used for layering, and are cut down closely every season.

still they do bloom under good culture. Perpétuelle Mauget, a rose raised at Orleans some years ago, is a very pretty rose, but it is a most delicate grower: budded on the rose Félicité Perpétue it may, perhaps, be made to do better. Its flowers are very double, well shaped, and of a nice bright rose-colour. The Perpetual White Moss Rose is one of the oldest varieties in this group, and was originated in France about thirty years since; this is a variety of the White Monthly Damask Rose; it blooms in large clusters in autumn; its flowers are small and very fragrant: it is useful to form a bed on its own roots.

General Drouet has semi-double flowers of a bright crimson; and is a vigorous growing variety. Recently some new and desirable roses of this family have been introduced, one of the finest of which is Madame Ory; this, with a dwarf and rather compact nature, has flowers of medium size, of rather a deep rose-colour, nicely cupped and very double; it blooms very freely in autumn, and has the delicious perfume of the Old Moss Rose: it is by far one of the most charming roses of this group.

Salet is also a new variety, of much more vigorous growth than the preceding, often making shoots three feet in length; its flowers are of a pale rose, of medium size, and very sweet: it blooms freely in autumn.

There are some other Autumnal Moss Roses,

very pretty and fragrant; such are Celine Briant and Marie de Bourgogne, both dwarf and free blooming; and then we have as new roses of this class, Impératrice Eugénie, and Alfred de Dalmas, both of them pretty, but not very distinct; and Emile de Girardin and Gloire d'Orient, vigorous growers, but not well inclined to bloom in autumn. There are many other varieties of this family in the rose catalogues, but none equal to Madame Ory in beauty and fragrance of her flowers, and none to be compared with Salet for the beauty of its buds; in September, its flowers are not perfect when open, but its buds are fragrant as those of the old Moss Rose in June. So let us dismiss our new friends with a hope and certain anticipation of much ultimate improvement in variety of colour and tendency to give us moss roses in autumn. The culture of these hybrid moss roses should be the same as that of the Hybrid Perpetuals, but to ensure their blooming freely in autumn, they should be lifted and replanted with some fresh compost annually in November.

THE PERPETUAL DAMASK ROSE.
(Rosier Damas à fleurs perpétuelles.)

THIS division has as much variety in its origin as in its appearance; it would, indeed, be a difficult task to trace the parentage of some of the

justly esteemed varieties of this family. Our old red and white monthly roses have, no doubt, contributed their share of sweet assistance; for, in many of them the powerful fragrance of these two very old damask roses is apparent, and no perfume can be more pleasing.

As an old rose lover one feels regret that these once unique and charming autumnal roses must pass away. In fragrance, they are equalled by our next group, and in freedom of blooming in autumn, brilliancy of colour, vigorous growth, and, in short, perfection of all that a rose can be; Hybrid Pepertual Roses infinitely surpass the varieties of this once interesting family. It is, however, quite fit and proper that their history should be given here, or our New Zealanders, A. D. 2500, may be at a loss to know what roses we cultivated in the middle of the nineteenth century. I record their qualities with a sentimental sigh worthy of a young lady who has finished reading her first novel.

Bernard is a most beautiful rose, with rather small flowers; but these are very double and finely shaped, of a delicate pink tinted with salmon, and very fragrant. This rose will flourish better on the Manetti stock than on the Dog Rose: it is a most desirable rose.

The Crimson Perpetual, Rose du Roi, or Lee's Crimson Perpetual, deserves a few extra words of comment. This fine rose was raised from seed,