Our Hardy Roses 



By Alex. Cumming, Jr. 



Not many years ago, when the mere mention of the 

 rose suggested June roses only, the rose was essentially 

 a flower of June, and the Hybrid, Perpetual or Re- 

 montant type then attained its zenith. 



The addition of the more recent Hybrid Tea class has 

 given the rose a new standing as a garden subject. It is 

 not only the flower of June, but we also regard it as a 

 flower to enhance the garden, by its sweet presence, from 

 early June until frost — an added quality that at once pro- 

 nounces the Hybrid Tea as the type "par excellent'" for 

 general garden culture. We may also consider the ma- 

 jority of its varieties sufficiently well constituted to re- 

 place, to a large extent, the older types for any orna- 

 mental purpose. 



The genus "Rosa" embraces a great many distinct sec- 

 tions or families, yet the true garden or bedding roses 

 susceptible to successful culture in our climate are re- 

 stricted to a few well-known types, namely, the Tea- 

 Scented Roses in a few of the more sturdy kinds, the 

 Hybrid Tea, the Hybrid Perpetual or Remontant, the 

 dwarf Polyantha, and the newer Pernetiana group. The 

 Bourbon, Bengal, Noisette and other less known types 

 are hardly worthy of this distinction, except in a few in- 

 stances. Some knowledge of the characteristics of these 

 types is essential to the rosarian, particularly when prun- 

 ing operations are in order, or in the arrangement of the 

 rose garden, the success of which depends so much on 

 the proper disposal of the various classes. 



If a June display, only, is desired, the Hybrid Remon- 

 tant type should be drawn from largely, as it is their 

 characteristic to make a prodigious showing at that sea- 

 son, and for this reason they are commended to the owner 

 of the private estate, who is absent during the late sum- 

 mer and would therefore prefer the early display. A 

 limited number of the varieties will flower more or less 

 during the autumn months, so that by confining the plant- 

 ing list to a careful selection, a creditable showing could 

 be made at that time. In pink varieties, ]\Irs. John Laing, 

 Paul Neyron, George Arends, Paul's Early Blush, Mrs. 

 R. G. Sharman Crawford,, and Anna de Deisbach are 

 about the best in this respect. 



The red roses of this type are sadly deficient in late 

 flowering qualities, the best being Ulrich Brunner and 

 Gloire de Chedane Guinoisseau, varieties distinct in form. 

 although closely related. 



Good white roses are limited to a few varieties in any 

 type, but particularly so in the Hybrid Remontant. Frau 

 K. Druschki is easily the best in this section and is. in 

 fact, generally considered the queen of all white roses, 

 regardless of classification. 



For June flowering only, we can add a number of ex- 

 cellent kinds to the foregoing. In white and flesh shades. 

 the varieties Clio, Margaret Dickson. Gloire Lyonnaise, 

 and Mabel Morrison are well worthy of a place in the 

 rose garden. 



In red roses, General Jacqueminot, known as the Tack 

 Rose for over half a century, is still one of our finest; 

 Marie Bauman. Alfred Colomb. Marie Radv, Senateur 

 \'aisse, Jules Margotten. and Hugh Dickson are each 

 good garden varieties. Hugh Dickson stands out promi- 

 nently among these and should not be omitted from the 

 planting list. 



The Pink Remontant roses that flower only in June, 

 also include our hardiest garden kinds — Madam G. 

 Luizet. Oakmont. Baronne Prevost, Magna Charta and 



Baroness Rothschild are varieties that will resist our 

 winter conditions without protection. 



To sum up the good qualities of this type — qualities 

 that endear — we cannot over-estimate the wonderful dis- 

 play which they are capable of producing in the early 

 summer, the perfect form, substance and clear coloring; 

 of the flowers, combined with a constitution that well 

 adapts them for beautifying exposed locations where the 

 more tender roses would have a struggle to exist. 



THE HYBRID TEA. 



I'or general garden culture, however, the ihbrid Tea 

 type has attained a degree of popularity that no other 

 type can boast of, and this, we may assume, is the logical 

 test of all around superiority. Combining the good 

 qualities of the parental types — the Hybrid Perpetual and 

 the Tea-Scented principally — it embodies many desirable 

 traits, and although still in its infancy it has produced so- 

 many good varieties that it would be difficult to make a 

 selection of the best without slighting some favorite 

 variety. 



Occasionally we find a somewhat fickle rose doing un- 

 usually well where it finds conditions congenial. Natu- 

 rally the proud grower maintains that it is one of the 

 finest of all roses and one that is shamefully neglected 

 by rose growers in general, when, as a matter of fact, his 

 nearest neighbor, regardless of experience, cannot get 

 results from it. This is, of course, exceptional, but we 

 find a striking example in the La France Rose — a very 

 beautiful and effective variety where it finds the right 

 conditions, but as a general rule it is a disappointment. 

 The rose that merits general approval must indeed be 

 one of more than ordinary quality. We note a grow- 

 ing tendency on the part of catalog firms to eliminate the- 

 mediocre varieties, retaining only the very best rather 

 than present an elaborate list of varieties. For the cli- 

 mate here in the east, the selection is necessarily rigorous. 

 A rose, no matter how fragrant or beautiful in color, is- 

 not desirable unless it is vigorous and robust in constitu- 

 tion. It must grow and flower profusely throughout the 

 summer and withal, resist severe winter conditions. 

 These are the prime essentials to our ideal garden rose 

 and in this connection we perhaps oppose the ideals of 

 Europe, where a variety establishes its reputation first on 

 the exhibition table. Here it must do so in the garden. 



In this Hybrid Tea family, pink seems to be the pre- 

 vailing color, as we find it in other types. The varieties 

 Caroline Testout and Radiance are perhaps the best for 

 all around garden purposes, yet there are many varieties 

 which have excellent qualities and are almost cquall)^ 

 desirable. C_\nthia Furde. Konigen Karola, Jonkheer J. 

 L. Mock, I.ady Alice Stanley, Earl of Warwick. My 

 Maryland, Lady Ashton, Mrs. George Shawver and 

 Madam Jules Grolez, are good garden roses, each distinct 

 in some respects. 



The red Hybrid Teas are more numerous than we find 

 this color in the Remontant type. Tlic varieties Laurent 

 Carle. General Superior Arnfild Jansscn. lulwanl Maw- 

 ley. Gruss an Teplitz, Ecarlate. Cardinal. Leslie Holland. 

 Rhea Reifl, General Mac.Xitlnir and Roi)in Hood, aic all 

 desirable. 



The white varieties Kaiserin Augusta \'ictoria, Au- 

 gustine Guinoisseau, P.essie Brown and Double White 

 Killarney are about the best in their color. 



^'ellow Hylirid Teas, or varieties with yellow as the 



