ROSES. 119 



for making the Attar of Roses. Nearly all the varieties noted 

 for their great size and fragrance. This section contains a 

 large number of variegated varieties, in fact all the sorts so 

 marked owe this peculiarity to a strain of Gallica blood. 



Up through the years of many centuries the improvement of 

 the rose has steadily advanced and wiU doubtless continue for 

 many centuries to come. Not only have more beautiful and fra- 

 grant blossoms been originated but the types and varieties and 

 classes have multiplied almost without end, and every season 

 we have from one to half a dozen more or less worthy new 

 sorts placed on the market and loudly proclaimed to be the 

 best that was ever introduced. Most of them are heard of 

 for a season or two only as world beaters and then the places 

 that knew them know them no more. There is an occasional ex- 

 ception however and a new introduction that is good enough to 

 maintain a place near the top of the list in this day of progress 

 is indeed worthy of the homage of the flower lover. Nor is this 

 constantly and comparatively rapid improvement to be wondered 

 at when we remember that master minds of floriculture have 

 devoted busy life times to this end. 



In a commercial sense, the forcing of roses under glass for 

 cut flowers has attained a position of considerable importance, 

 in the enterprises of the country and millions of square feet of 

 glass are used for that purpose. The amount of money invested 

 in the business in the United States runs into the hundreds of 

 millions and the number of blossoms produced, especially dur- 

 ing the winter months is practically beyond comprehension. In 

 the little city of Fremont, hardly a speck on the map of floral 

 production, were grown last season in this way over 37,000 rose- 

 buds. To one who does not fully understand the requirements, 

 it will seem strange that less than a dozen varieties of roses are 

 forced for cut flowers. Of these the American Beauty stands 

 at the head. This is a hybrid perpetual and is nearer what the 

 name implies than perhaps any other rose of the class. It is 

 really a perpetual bloomer in the greenhouse. The rest 

 of those on the florists list are teas and hybrid teas. 

 The Bride, the Bridesmaid, Liberty, Golden Gate, Mmme 

 Chatenay, Meteor, Pearl des Jardines, and Kaiserein Augusta 

 Victoria make up the balance of the list. Occasionally a grower 



