HORTI CULTURE 



July 22, 1905 



Rosa setigera (Michigan or Prairie Rose) 



This beautiful wild rose is at date of this writing 

 at about its best, and deserves for its numerous good 

 qualities a place of honor in every rose garden and 

 in all shrubbery plantings. Through its vigorous 

 growth and climbing habit it is apt to crowd out 

 other plants, but the beautiful effect produced by 

 its unrestricted growth amongst other shrubbery and 

 small trees, throwing out its flower-set short branches 

 from amongst other foliage, is simply grand. I have 

 seen it grow over a pin oak fifteen feet high inside 

 of two years, and the very loose corymbs of blossoms 

 surrounded by the light green leaves, projecting and 

 hanging out from the dark-green, glossy foliage of 

 the oak in a rambling natural fashion, made a pic- 

 ture inviting enough for the keenest painter of floral 

 life. 



Recognizing its qualities as a strong climber and 

 free bloomer, we made use of the R. setigera for the 

 covering of some arches twelve feet high in our new 

 rose garden. The plants were two years old when 

 planted in the spring of 1904, and they are now fully 

 ten to twelve feet up, as the accompanying photo- 

 graph will show. The flowers appear in few-flowered 

 corymbs, the latter far enough apart to give the 

 whole structure a graceful, loose appearance, en- 

 hanced through fine foliage. The color of the blos- 

 som is deep-rose, fading through pink to whitish, 

 and this effect of those well-blended, harmonious 



colors is,- to my eye, far superior and more beautiful 

 than the solid crimson of the Crimson Rambler or 

 the fine pink of Dorothy Perkins, rich as they are 

 in their glorious garb of blossoms. 



The Prairie Rose is now in bloom for the last 

 two weeks, and will last at least that much longer, 

 for although the individual florets fade away fast 

 enough, there are new buds opening as fast as the 

 others pass away, and it is just the different shade.'^ 

 of color of the fresh and passing flowers which are 

 so pleasing and refreshing to the eye. 



I consider Rosa setigera a most valuable climbing 

 rose, and, to the good qualities already mentioned, 

 we may add that it is very hardy and remarkably 

 free from insects, and not subject to mildew. Its 

 strong growth would suggest that it might be a 

 good stock plant to bud on and, by the way, why 

 can not such strong growing climbers be used for 

 high and numerous Ijudding on especially selected 

 long branches? If the Baby Rambler is such an 

 ever-bloomer, why not bud it on the vigorous branches 

 of the Crimson Rambler and have something to show 

 the season through ? 



Propagation of Azalea nudiflora 



Editor Horticulture: — Can the wild azaleas, 

 nudiflora and its kindred, be propagated from sum- 

 mer growth cuttings? I find occasionally one along 

 banks of streams, but they are, as a rule, scraggy 

 specimens not likely to live if transplanted. I am 

 trying layering in one instance where several sprouts 

 start from the base, but would Hke to propagate 

 from cuttings if possible. I suppose if the native 

 bushes can be propagated in this way the same 

 process will do for A. molhs; the latter can be in- 

 creased rapidly by planting low and banking up 

 earth. P. 



Azalea nudiflora can be propagated by half-ripe 

 wood in summer under a bell-glass or close frame, 

 but this process is slow and requires several weeks 

 and much care. They can also be propagated by 

 hillock layers or by stolons. The most rapid way to 

 propagate them is by seed. Collect seeds in October, 

 and sow in well-drained pans of sphagnum moss in 

 January under heat, and transplant in well-drained 

 pans of sandy loam and peat. As soon as the first 

 rough leaf appears grow on in close, moist, heat 

 under glass until the first of September when they 

 should be gradually hardened off to try. They stand 



the winter in a cold pit. If they have been fre- 

 quently transplanted during the summer, they w'U 

 be several inches high by September, far exceeding 

 the growth from cuttings. Of course, n the case of 

 an extra firm variety the cuttings, layers, or grafting 

 is the only course to pursue to retain the special 

 variety. Side-grafting on stock previous'y potted 

 can be done in close frames in August, having the 

 plants established in pots some time previously. 



Azalea nudiflora is found in considerable quantities 

 in different parts of the United States, especially in 

 western Massachusetts, also Connecticut and Long 

 Island, New York, and is not at all difficult to trans- 

 plant provided care is taken in lifting it. Old plants 

 should be well cut back and planted in the nursery 

 until they become shapely. There are hundreds of 

 them in the Arboretum three and four feet high, 

 loaded with blossoms in their season, that were so 

 collected and treated as stated above. 



