296 ANNUAL REPORT OF THE Off. Doc. 



Jardiue. It was raised in Ireland, but its good qualities are being 

 developed by a rose growing expert at Sharon Hill, Delaware 

 County. It is being very highly spoken of as a promising variety. 

 It is pink in color, but quite distinct from all others with pink flow- 

 ers, being of a very delicate tone of color, and when the flower is 

 about half open it is very beautiful. 



Two other new roses were on exhibition at the Florists Club 

 meeting above referred to, one of which came from Chicago, and the 

 other from Richmond, Indiana. That coming from Chicago is known 

 as the Mrs. Potter Palmer, and is what is known as a "bud variation," 

 which means that it produces flowers different in color from the 

 plant from which the cuttings or slips were taken; for instance, 

 sometimes a branch on a given rose bush or some other plant may 

 produce flowers diii'ering in color from the other part of the plant; 

 said branch is cut away and slips made therefrom. The young plants 

 resulting from the cuttings are carefully watched to see if they pro- 

 duce the same color as the branch did from which the cuttings were 

 made, and the chances are in their favor that they will, but some- 

 times they will take upon themselves to revert to the same color 

 of flower that the original plant produced. Then, of course, our 

 efforts have been in vain and have gone for naught. This particu- 

 lar variety, Mrs. Potter Palmer, produces flowers of a darker col- 

 ored shade of pink than does the plant Madame Abel Chatenay, 

 from which the newer form sprang. V^hether it will prove val- 

 uable remains to be seen after further trial. The variety which 

 came from Richmond, Indiana, is claimed by the originator to be 

 a rival of the ever popular American Beauty, and a further claim is 

 made that it is very much easier to manage than is the old stand- 

 by, American Beauty, being what is known as an "easy-doer" but 

 whether it is so or not on all soils and in all situations can only be 

 proven by experimenting. 



While it is quite correct to go on experimenting, with the hope 

 and desire of producing improved varieties, all wise growers try 

 all new varieties, but still hold on to that which is good, and that 

 accounts for the fact that there are more American Beauties being 

 grown for cut flowers in America to-daj^ than there ever were be- 

 fore. 



I have dv\^elt somewhat at length on the new rose question, be- 

 cause it is novelties in the way of new forms, new or brighter 

 colors, or larger flowers which act as an incentive to higher ideals 

 among the patrons of Floriculture and those who are interested in 

 the same. It is the hope of producing something superior to what 

 is already in existence that springs eternal in the floAver growers 

 breast. 



Farms are being bought on which to erect greenhouses for th'e 

 purpose of growing therein the already tried and true varieties of 

 the rose. About a year ago fifty acres were bought in Montgomery 

 County by a firm of rose growers, and which is located quite close to 

 the Reading Station at North Wales, and is in accordance with ad- 

 vice given in Bulletin No. 97, published in 1902 by the Department 

 of Agriculture: This rose house is said to be the largest green- 

 house in the world. It is over 150 feet wide, and will average be- 

 tween 400 and 500 feet long. For some reason only known to the 

 owners, one side of this mammoth greenhouse is longer than the 



