64 Wisconsin State Horticultural Society. 



to roses and their cultivation. She had about fifteen varieties of the 

 different kinds of hardy and perpetuals, but did not know their 

 names; they did not seem to be as hardy, or thrifty, or as free 

 bloomers as roses were years ago, but had usually done well, com- 

 pared with the results of others; the culture given had been but 

 little. She had tried to raise roses as house plants, but though the 

 utmost pains were taken with them the result was not very satis- 

 factory. 



Mrs. Ryan inquired where we could get the old fashioned roses, 

 that often used to bloom profusely from year to year, with little or 

 no care at all. Now, give the best of care, and even the best and 

 hardiest kinds bloom but sparingly and die out in a few years. 



Dr. Kezerta said he was very much pleased with the Queen of the 

 Prairie. He had cultivated very fine plants of this variety for a 

 number of years. It was a profuse bloomer, and the roses were 

 very full, perfect and handsome. It was not hardy, and required 

 careful covering in winter, and with the best of care would occa- 

 sionally kill out. 



Mr. Tuttle said the Queen of the Prairie was truly a magnificent 

 rose, but he regarded the Gem of the Prairie as much more desir- 

 able; it was hardier, and the flowers were fragrant. He was a 

 great admirer of roses and thought they ought to be more gener- 

 ally cultivated. The hardy kinds, in soil suitable for corn, and 

 with proper care, would do well. There are very many desirable 

 varieties of the perpetuals, Bourbons and Tea roses; which, with 

 proper care and protection, could be raised with good success; many 

 of them are only half hardy, but there were a number of the per- 

 petuals just as hardy as any of the old fashioned roses, if properly 

 trained. The trouble with our roses now, is the same as with the 

 Delaware grape at first; for years .it was very tender and unsatis- 

 factory, but this was the result of hot house culture; so with roses, 

 they are propagated in hot houses, forced to the utmost possible 

 development, and are consequently tender and short lived. When 

 cultivated under changed conditions, greater hardiness can be 

 secured by careful propagation and culture. Most of the new roses 

 sent out by our special rose culturists, are lacking in vigor and 

 strength on account of the treatment in the hot house, and are not 

 worth one cent per hundred for common garden or house culture. 



