For April, 1922 



115 



If 1 had space for only one hybrid perpetual, my choice 

 would be Paul Neyron. Its Howers are the largest of 

 all ruses, they are bright shining pink, borne in great num- 

 bers and delightfully scented. The advent of hybrid teas 

 caused many good ones of this class to go out of cultiva- 

 tion by the trade, but among others, the following may 

 .still be obtained and are certainly worth growing : Cap- 

 tain Christy, flesh color ; Frau Karl Druschki, white, much 

 beloved of rose bugs : Ceneral Jacqueminot, velvety crim- 

 son, very fragrant ; Magna Charta. rosy pink : Prince 

 Camille de Rohan, dark velvety crimson, probably the 

 darkest color among roses, although nearly equaled l)v 

 another of its class. Black Prince, which has somewhat 

 larger flowers but not so fragrant; and George Arends, 

 Avhich in all respects runs a good second to Paul Neyron. 



Among climbing roses no iDne chooses Crimson Ram- 

 bler as there are plenty of others which are in every way 

 better, and none are as nuich subject to mildew. If there 

 is only room for one it might be a toss up between Amer- 

 ican Pillar and Dr. \"an Fleet, both having jiink flowers 

 and are good growers, the latter being practically mildew- 

 proof. Among the yellows, .\viateitr Bleriot is the best, 

 closely followed by Gardenia. Today the best white is no 

 doubt Mary Lovett : the most fragrant is probably Bess 

 Lovett, a clear bright red : both these latter were pro- 



duced by the late Dr. \'an P^leet. The nearest approach 

 to ever-blooming among the climbers hardy in the more 

 northern states, is \'on(lel. which has small, apple-blos- 

 .■-om-pink flowers. 



As before stated the baby ramblers and polyanthas form 

 quite a di.stinct class among hybrids. Their dwarf, 

 compact habit, with the clustered masses of bloom give 

 them a distinction all their own, and they make very 

 showy subjects for general garden use. The four best 

 are. Echo, light pink ; Marie Pavie, flesh pink, fragrant 

 and lasting : Catherine Zeimet. white, and Geo. Elger, 

 yellow. 



We cannot leave untnentioned the comparatively little 

 known Bourbon class. They re(|uire the same treatment 

 as hybrid teas and as a rule flower more freely the lat- 

 ter half of the season than earlier. 



The two best of those generally satisfactory for shrub- 

 bery purposes, Rugosas, are, apart from the original 

 species, the hybrids, Conrad V. Alyer, bright pink, and 

 Sir Thomas Lipton, white. Both these are more contin- 

 uous bloomers than the type, but they are not quite so 

 hardy in the districts of most severe weather without 

 good Winter mulching. As a matter of fact all roses 

 should be well nmlched with jjlenty of strawy manure 

 in Winter. 



Easter Lilies 



BERTHA BERBERT-HAMMOND 



Tiili decorating of the home and the church with 

 flowers is a popular observance in the celebration 

 of the joyful festival of the resurrection on Easter 

 Srmday, and while many kinds of blooming plants and 

 fresh greenery are used, lilies are by far the flowers most 

 favored for this purpose. 



The name "Easter lily" was at one time used in con- 

 nection w^th the lovely Madonna Lily, Liliitm candidiiin. 

 Later a lily from the islands off the coast of Japan, Lil- 

 iiiiii longiflorum formosum, was the type of Easter lily, 

 but at the present time, the term is by general accord used 

 to designate Lilhiiii Harrisii. the Bermuda lily, and the 

 most desirable of white lilies which can be obtained in 

 bloom at the proper time for the Easter celebration. In 

 the mild climate and the peculiar soil of the Bermuda 

 Islands, the lilies reach perfection out-doors, and millions 

 of potted plants are annually sent to the LTnited States 

 in the Spring. As the voyage is only about forty hours, 

 cut stalks in bud packed with great care antl skill can 

 readilv arrive in good condition. When promptly placed 

 in water, they will open their handsome trumpet-shaped 

 Wooms of snowy whiteness. 



Undoubtedly the Bermuda lily deserves to be called 

 the true Easter Lily. It is probably the most exquisitely 

 beautiful and delicately perfumed of all white lilies, and 

 ty its chaste beauty and manner of growth, peculiarly 

 fitted to awaken reverential thoughts, not only of the 

 revival of Nature but of the spiritual sentiment and sig- 

 nificance underlying the celebration of Easter, the "Sun- 

 day of lov" or the "Dominica gaudi"' of ancient times. 

 Surely it mav be said that 



"We behold their tender buds expand: 

 Emblems of our 07(.'n !:;reaf resurrection. 

 Emblems of the brii:;ht and better land." 



— Lon!j;fellow. 



Liliuni Harrisii. named after but not discovered by 

 H. K. Harris of Philadelphia, who introduced this Ber- 

 muda lily, is considered one of our most important floral 



acquisitions. It is the best of all lilies for Winter forcing 

 and for certainty and freedom of bloom, even compara- 

 tively small bulbs sending up flowers of good size and 

 quality, though the large sized bulbs, generally preferred 

 for growing specimen plants for decoration or e.xhibition, 

 usually produce from six to eighteen flowers three to five 

 inches long. These large, white, trumpet-shaped flowers 

 are fragrant and retain their Ijeauty for days. 



Another delightful thing is the fact that this superb 

 lily can readily be forced to bloom at a desired time, so 

 that it is possible to have beautiful flowering specimens 

 not merely at Easter, but also for Christmas, New Year, 

 or other special occasions during the Wititer, by begin- 

 ning the culture four or five months before the time when 

 the flowers are desired. This culture consists in potting 

 very firmly a large sized bulb in rich, friable soil and 

 covering the bulb with at least two inches of compost. 

 A layer of charcoal should be used at the bottom of the 

 pot to assure perfect drainage. The potted bulb should 

 be then well watered and set in a cool place until after 

 four or five weeks have passed, and good roots have been 

 established. Then the potted plants, which may or may 

 not show evidence of top growth, should gradually be 

 exposed to sunlight. As the growth of the green sprout 

 advances, the plant should be given as much sunlight as 

 possible until the buds are about to open. To secure 

 flowers that will have lasting quality, the plant should be 

 removed from direct sunlight and copiously watered. At 

 no time during the forcing period should the soil be al- 

 lowed to become too dry. the atmosphere of the room 

 should also be kept moist and cool. A plant forced too 

 rapidly in a place that- is too dry and hot will become 

 spindlv in growth, a good subject for insect pests, and if 

 it develo]5s buds at all, they are liable to blight. 



The rapidity with which L. Harrisii may be forced into 

 bloom is one of the points made in its favor. However, 

 all things considered, slow development in a cool tempera- 

 ture is more likely to produce stronger plants and abun- 

 dant flowers of fine quality. 



