774 ANNUAIi REPORT OF THE Off. Doc. 



the Boston retail florists have been depending upon the Rose growers 

 about I'hiladolphia and some other localities for the greater part of 

 their supply therefor. There are evidences, however, that many 

 piore of the flowers of the American Beauty will be home grown for 

 the Boston supply in the future than there have been in the past, for 

 some immense structures have beeu built near to that city for the 

 I)urpose indicated during recent years. Kose houses 750 feet 

 loug and 25 feet wide haye been built within the past two years, 

 in which, we believe, only American Beauty Koses are grown.* 



When the American Beauty received so much attention in the 

 American horticultural magazines, the European horticulturists 

 naturally became interested, and, in consequence , ordered plants of 

 same. In due course these jjlants flowered, and thereupon a French 

 nurseryman recognized in it an old variety by the name of Mme. 

 Ferdinand Jamin, and duly spread the information broadcast in all 

 languages where advanced horticultnre is known. This, as a con- 

 sequence, temporarih^ at least, gave American nurserymen a bad 

 name — that of renaming an old variety and redisseminatiug the 

 same, thus causing rau(;h confusion in Rose nomenclature, besides 

 placing American disseminators of floricultural novelties under the 

 ban. In the case under consideration it was purely unintentional. 

 Besides, if it is in any way consoling, the European distributors of 

 novelties have been guilty of the same kind of '"slips" — that of re 

 naming aiid redisseminating old varieties under new names. 



An old friend of mine, fifteen years ago, in the columns of the 

 American Florist, made the statement that American Beauty was 

 the best Rose introduced for the past twenty years, and although 

 he was ridiculed to some extent then, nothing but the truth 

 was stated as time has proven. The grand blooms of this Rose 

 that have been produced since w-ere not dreamed of at the time 

 the statement was made, but the improved methods of culture and 

 a more exacting demand as to quality for all classes of flowers has 

 helped along the good work. 



From the American Beauty Rose has sprung tw^o varieties, namely: 

 "American Belle" and the "Queen of Edgely." Both originated as 

 what are known among gardeners and florists as "sports," that is 

 to say, a shoot produced a flower that was distinct from those pro- 

 duced by the parent plant. Cuttings, "slips" or scions were made 

 from said shoot, and in due course plants and flowers resulted there- 

 from which proved to be sufficiently distinct to warrant the adopt- 

 ing of a different name. The color of the flowers of both sports, 

 or, as Darwin would call them, "bud variations," were nearly 



• la Connecticut (luring rhe present, SuuiTner (li)l)'?K a rose house 800 feet. Iouk by .')0 feet [wide was 

 built, in which are now ^'ovvins; American Heauty Koses for the Hostou market. 



