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II irr 1 C U L T U R E 



June 29. 1»18 



AMERICAN ROSE SOCIETY 



Visit to Eliz.ibeth P.irk. Hertford. Conn 



t'lomllet.» sklus. .1 brisk, clear at- 

 mosphere and most cordial hospital- 

 ity greeted the members of the 

 American Rose Society In Hartford 

 on Thursday. June 20. The local 

 committee, consisting of Messrs. Pier- 

 son. Huss and CumnihiK. had been 

 most thouphtfiil in anticipating every 

 detail of a plan to make the day an 

 eventful one in the annals of the so- 

 ciety. The executive committee of 

 the society held a session in Pond 

 House. Elizabeth Park, at H> o'clock, 

 after which the committee and other 

 guests were entertained at luncheon 

 at Hotel Bond by \V. R. Pierson. 



After luncheon the party was 

 conveyed to the famous rose gardens 

 at Elizabeth Park. The attendance 

 was disappointing but those in atten- 

 dance felt well repaid for the trip. The 

 hybrid perpetual, tea and hybrid tea 

 roses were at their best, but the 

 climbers were not yet in their full 

 beauty. In the older part of the gar- 

 den beds of Radiance, Killarney 

 Queen, Miss Cynthia Forde, P^rau Karl 

 Druschki. Laurent Carle and George 

 Arends were especially good, while 

 the climbers American Pillar, Chris- 

 tine Wright, Purity, Leuchtstern and 

 Excelsa were full of bloom and much 

 admired. In the newer part of the 

 garden there were forty-two beds, 

 each filled with a variety donated by 

 some individual or firm, which in the 

 opinion of the donor was the most 

 desirable of available varieties. The 

 single hybrid tea Isabelle, donated by 

 the A. N. Pierson Co., Rosalind and 

 Silvia by F. R. Pierson Co. Mrs. I,eon 

 Pain and Miss Cynthia Forde by H. 

 A. Dreer were among those esi e- 

 cially noted. 



In the rose test garden the judges 

 consisting of Professor Frank A. 

 Waugh, Amherst, Mass., S. S. Pen- 

 nock, Philadelphia, Pa., and Robert 

 Pyle West Grove Pa., scored the hy- 

 brid teas as follows: .John Cook's 

 seedling N'o. 512 — 86 points, which, 

 therefore, received the silver medal 

 of the American Rose Society; John 

 Cook's seedling Xo. 561 — 82 points, 

 thereby awarding it a certificate of 

 merit; Bertram J. Walker— 74 points 

 and Mrs. George Gorden — 73 points. 

 Eighty-two points and a certificate 

 of merit were awarded the climbing 

 rose, "Aunt Harriet," introduced by 

 the Conard & Jones Co., West Grove. 

 Pa., and 72 points to Wartburg in- 



liuiliu'cd b.\ llu' .same lirni, by a com- 

 milU'e consisting of Professor F>ank 

 A. Wuugh, S. S. Pennock and W. K. 

 Pierson. 



.\fter the Judging the entire party 

 were piloted in automobiles through 

 Hartford's splendid park system by 

 .Supl George A. Parker. Mr. Turner, 

 Superintendent of Connecticut State 

 Park, Thomas Snell Weaver, Park 

 Commissioner and George Hollister, 

 Superintendent of Keney Park. Leav- 

 ing Elizabeth Park with its some- 

 what formal style of gardening. Keney 

 Park was first visited. This com- 

 prises about 660 acres of natural 

 landscape with open meadows where 

 grazed herds of sheep, tended in a 

 picturesque way by shepherds and 

 dogs. Here broad vistas were also 

 striking and the winding drives 

 through deep wooded areas carpeted 

 with rank growth of ferns were most 

 restful. Passing through the city by 

 the Keney Memorial and South Green, 

 Colt Park was next visited. Here the 

 spirit of play was most in evidence 

 and the park was filled with hundreds 

 of boys and girls, young men and 

 ladies engaged in all sorts of recrea- 

 tion. Goodwin Park, another area of 

 natural landscape was interesting be- 

 cause it was used largely as .Munici- 

 pal Golf Links. At Overlook the party 

 stopped and were treated to soft 

 drinks by the genial superintendent 

 of parks. Pope Park, a recreation 

 park with ideal playgrounds in a sec- 

 tion of the city where most of the 

 homes were of the poorer class, was 



motored through on the return lo 

 Ellitiibelh I'ark. 



At six o'clock the party was enter- 

 tained at a delightful dinner in Pond 

 House, by Ihi- llarllord I'ark Depart- 

 ment. After the dinner Thomas 

 Snell Weaver and Gecirge Parker of 

 the Park Depart nienl, expressed In a 

 few well chosen words the welcome of 

 the Park Deparlmi'nl lo the Ameri- 

 can Hose Society and llenjamln Ham- 

 mond, president of the society, rc- 

 spiuidod, voicing the appreciation of 

 the American Hose Society for the 

 most generous hospitality extended 

 to Its members by thi' flower lovers 

 of Hartford. 



,'\t '..'ill the guests and citizens of 

 Hartford listened to a delightful lec- 

 ture in the .Miinici|)al lUiilding on 

 "Outdoor Hoses." by Robert Pyle of 

 West Grove. Pa. .Mr. Pyle showed 

 many beautifully colored slides of 

 rose gardens in .America and abroad, 

 and also the various types and varie- 

 ties of roses. The lecturer's personal 

 acquaintance with many of the most 

 noted rosarians al>road made his talk 

 full of Interest. Following .Mr. Pyle's 

 lecture. Professor Frank A. Waugh of 

 the Mass. -Agricultural College gave 

 an interesting and instructive illus- 

 trated lecture on "Civic Improve- 

 ment.' 



The keynote of the day seemed to 

 be that in these times of strenuous 

 warfare when all nations are at strife, 

 there is added need of the quieting, 

 restful, recreating influence of roses 

 and natural beauty. Commissioner 

 Weaver expressed the thought that 

 though the war may go on for years, 

 Xature will again reassert herself 

 and where all <s now turmoil and car- 

 nage, the ])oppies and other flowers 

 of France will again spring up, a 

 token of hope and inspiration for us 

 all. E. A. White. Secy. 



.\ prominent English rosarian. writ- 

 ing in a recent issue of the London 

 Garden, says Golden Emblem (1917) 

 bids fair to be the finest yellow rose 

 in cultivation. The habit of growth 

 Is ideal and the flowers shapely and 

 well scented, a gold-medal variety. 



LAELIO-CATTLEYA RHEIMS ALBA RUBRA AND CATTLEYA CHARM. 



Silver Mcdiil for eiicli .i\v:irili'i] at P.ostiui Sliow to A. W. rrfstoji. 



