July 20, 1907 



HORTICULTURE 



65 



A National Rose Show 



The most famous rose show that England can boast — 

 the National Rose Soeiet3''s Annual Metropolitan. Ex- 

 hibition — was held on July 4th in the beautiful grounds 

 of the Royal Botanic Society in the heart of London. 

 We have had wretched weatlier so far this summer — 

 hardly a fine day for the past two months and very lit- 

 tle sun^so that as fine a display as usual was hardly 

 expected and we were fortunate in having only a show- 

 ery day instead of a wet one. Her majesty, the Queen, 

 visited the show early in the afternoon and spent a 

 considerable time in the tents examining the exhibits 

 that were on view. The blue ribbon of the show is tlie 

 Champion Challenge Trophy, value sixty guinea,?, which 

 together with a gold medal and four pounds in money, 

 is offered for the best exhibit of seventy-two blooms of 

 cut roses, distinct varieties, by nurserymen. Needless 

 to say the winning exhibit which was from the famous 

 Hit chin rose growers (R. Harkness & Co.) made a re- 

 markably handsome display. There you can see at a 

 glance seventy-two of the best roses in cultivation. 

 Some of them no doubt are "exhibitors' roses," yet most 

 of them are equally as valuable in the garden as for the 

 show board. If I mention the names of a few of the 

 best varieties in this exhibit they may be taken as being 

 some of the finest roses in the show. Certain varieties 

 were consj)icuously good throughout the exliibition and 

 most of them were to be found in the prize-winning 

 stand of 72 blooms. The new Richmond rose that we 

 received from the United States was splendidly sliown. 

 so too was Lilierty which closel}' resembles it, and upon 

 which Richmond is said to be an improvement. The 

 flowers of the latter certainly seem larger and of bright- 

 er coloring. Lady Ashtown, a Hybrid Tea rose of per- 

 fect form, was admirably shown by many exhibitors. 

 Mrs. W. J. Grant was a great favorite and has prob- 

 ably never been seen in finer form. The inimitable 

 Frau Karl Druschki, the famous white Hybrid Perpet- 

 ual, was shown in every class in wliich it was allowed 

 and it was undoubtedly the finest white rose in the 

 show. 



You may remember that a few weeks ago I wrote 

 saying that, at the instance of Mr. W. E. Nickerson, of 

 Cambridge, Mass., the general committee of the Na- 

 tional Rose Society decided, by ballot, that the three 

 best roses were Fi-au Karl Druschki (H. P.), Dean 

 Hole (H. T.) and Mme. Jules Gravereaux (T.). There 

 were classes for these three roses and magnificent 

 blooms of each were on view. 



Probably the favorite exhibition Tea roses are Mrs. 

 Edward Mawley and Maman Cochet, and they were as 

 perfectly shown as one could wish. Some of the red 

 and crimson roses were magnificent — in fact, it is doubt- 

 ful if ever they have been finer than this year. The 

 cool moist weather that has prevailed seems to have 

 suited them perfectly. Such as Captain Haywood, C. 

 J. Grahame, Crown Prince, Hugh Dickson, Prince Ar- 



thur, Duke of Edinburgh, Duke of Wellington, Rev. 

 xYlan Cheales and otlier well known sorts were much 

 admired. 



Several new roses were shown. Two received gold 

 medals and a card of commendation was awarded to 

 each of two other new ones. The gold medals were 

 awarded to the varieties Queen of Spain (H. T.) and 

 Lady Helen Vincent (H. T.). 



Queen of Spain has been on the market some little 

 time. It is a fuU flower, of good form and has already 

 made many friends, for it is suitable either for ex- 

 hibition or for providing a quantity of cut bloom in 

 the garden. The centre of the flowers is deep flesh 

 pink, fading almost to white at the petal margins. This 

 fine rose was sent out and exhibited by Messrs. S. Bide 

 & Sons. 



Lady Helen Vincent has shell-like petals, colored 

 rosy salmon outside and paler within. It was exhibited 

 by Messrs. A. Dickson & Sons, Ltd. 

 ■ Mrs. Henry Weller, which received a card of com- 

 mendation, is a new variety which is the result of a 

 cross between Madame Abel Chatcnay and Mrs. W. J. 

 Grant. It may perhaps be best described by saying 

 that it appears to be intermediate between the parents. 

 It is of beautiful salmon rose coloring. Judging by 

 the blooms on view this is a rose that will be more 

 valuable for the display it makes in the garden than 

 for the exhibitor's stand. Shovrn by Wm. Henry Wel- 

 ter. 



Goldfinch is a new rambling rose remarkable for the 

 rich yellow buds that it bears in profusion. When the 

 buds develop and age they lose the rich coloring that 

 distinguishes them when young, and become consider- 

 ably paler. This rose, to which a card of commenda- 

 tion was awarded, wsls shown by Messrs. Paul & Son. 



In the nurserymen's classes a silver medal is aAvarded 

 to three blooms, the best Hybrid Perpetual, Hybrid 

 Tea and Tea. The best Hybrid Perpetual was shown 

 by Messrs. A. Dickson & Son.«, who won the silver medal 

 for a splendid bloom of Suzanne Marie Rhodocanachi. 

 The silver medal for the best Hylirid Tea went to Mil- 

 dred Grant, a well known exhibition variety, shown by 

 Harkness & Co., in their first prize exhibit of 73 blooms. 

 The silver medal Tea Rose was Mrs. Edward Mawley, 

 a flower remarkal'le for its unusually rich coloring, 

 shown bv Burrell & Co. 



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XA S 



Boston Old Home Week 



The week of July 39 — Ang. 3 will be a gala time in 

 Boston. HOETICULTUKE will be glad to extend a hearty 

 welcome to visitors and hopes there will be lots of them. 

 Make yourself at home at our office, 11 Hamilton Place, 

 opposite Park Street subway station. Or telephone us 

 (Oxford 293) on your arrival in Boston. 



