The daily dispatch. [volume] (Richmond [Va.]) 1850-1884, 1883-06-24

SOMETHING ABOUT THE FLOWERS CULTIVATED
by PEOPLE A GENERATION AGO.
Philadelphia Times

sovrTuING ABOUT THE FLOWERS CULTIVATED
by PEOPLE A GENERATION 400.
philadelphia Timcs.l
In the present craze for Jacqueminots
and MarecnaI Niels and Bon Silenes, few
people remember any OF the beautiful, old.
fashioned roses that delighted the hearts OF
people q generation ago. Years ago the
cabbage rose was considered almost INC
very perfection Of roses. Now the variety
is nearly extinct. Some persons VIII re-
member few old specimens. never 10 pe
forgotten on account OF their tall, spread
ing, woody bushes, their large, glossy,
dark green leaves. and their gorgeous
masses of deep-pink bloom. Those VINO
think the coroIIa OF the fashionable JacIue'
minot big should have seen those. ineS
were literally, rs the name indicates, re-
spectable-sized cabbages. The Bailin,o, !. :
Belle was once the fancy rose. no" ~ =
scarcely ever seen, except clalnoer'"g wv
old-fashioned porches and arborS. I"
hardy, luxuriapt climber, ana at tnc s'ine
time q delicate. graceful one. ~ Dears :
wealth OF bloom. sometimes tue sieen
being scarcely visible under us ven VI
crimson. The color - deep crini'on'
yelyefy "a royal robe. Ihe noWeis aio
not very double. having IN their centres
profusion OF bright yellow stamens.
But though the Baltimore Belle u beau.
tifnl, the Champney far surpasses IT, no,
one in a hundred OF the present race OF
readers knows what a Champney rose Is
single specimen is hardly obtaihapic
anywhere. The bush is low ana spreau-
inc. somewhat after the manner OF the "lid
rose. and it blooms at the rate oil nundreus
af a time. The blossom resembles ihat oi
the Baltimore Belle i'm that it Is but shSntiy
double, with profusion OF yellow sia-
mems. but il differs in color. being OIL
dainty creamy white, shading INTO
faint pink. All old gardens dispiayed
An abundance OF the hundred-leai OF crown
rose. This seemed well named, Tor the 100
abundant petals were literally packeG to-
oether 10 fern blossom raised in the cen,
ire like crown. In color it was OF Iel'
.o-called rose-pink. and had the ciaractef-
istic fragrance so well known III rose
wafer. Now, wherever seen, the hundreu-
leaf rose-bushes are usually degenerate
nrev for rose-bilgs. Beautiful hall-bioWh
nuds may sometimes be obtained. but very
seldom can one find a perfect flower.
The old-fashioned yellow rose has disap-
,eared almost entirely. The plants were
little. the clustered leaves very diminutlye.
and the stems and seed-yessels very plickiy'
Dut the blossoms were large ana glowing,
ike a small sun, more beautiful Dy IaT thah
he modern eIated sunllower.
The blighted rose was once quite curi-
,sity. and 80 il is noW-in the Few places III
which It may still be seen. One single pam
.ometimes spread itself like a miniature
nickel. a tangled mass OF greenery. Inc
.ofber large. very double blossoms were
,ure white upon their outer edge and dell
ate mink i'm the centre-smilar IN thls re-
meet 10 what is now known rs the blush
.ose. But the blighted rose bad one pecll-
iarify. Before the centre had illly de-
.elooed the outer edge had begun to fade,
o that il was no uncommon thing 10 see
he mink heart surrounded by fringe OF
yithered petals. Sometimes the ouIer layer
bowed strcaks of brown even III the qua.
The real mOss-rose, oil which the poets
ave sung. is now little more than mem
nv. IL resembed the crown-rose, except
bat il was larger, OF deeper pink, anu
adj a green, messy growth upon it, calyX.
he mOss-rose is still initiated by art. but
ow far this imitation is successful lew OF
he people OF the present day have much
pportunity of judging.
The dog-rose is perhaps the rarest OF all
he roses formerly cultivated, though IL Is
aid to grow wild in some parts OF the
tate. This rescmbled the sweetbriar, and
an over, perhaps, yards of space with the
anne native luXuriance. It's blossoms were
ingle, like those OF the wild-r0se. with five
nipple petals, but larger and OF deep.
e,vety pink. Other roses there were OF
,bich scarce the name or the memory re-
lains. One OF these was like double
wamp-rose, forming thickets like bram-