154 



GARDE^ERS• CHROMCLE 



Budded versus Own Root Roses 



W. N. CRAIG 



IAr^l always interested in my good friend Arthur 

 Smith's articles appearing each month in the (Iardex- 



Eus' CiiKONiCLE OF AMERICA and usiKilly agree with 

 what he says. I must, however take exception to some 

 statements contained in his second article on "Roses and 

 the Rose Garden'' on page 113 and 114 of the April 

 issue. 



Air. Smith states, 'AMien a rose is upon its own roots 

 it is less liable to Winter kill, for if it should be killed to 

 the ground, it will invariably send up new growth from 

 below." lie further states, "Roses on their own roots 

 are always more permanent than grafted ones,'" "there 

 is always more dying out among grafted or budded roses 

 in connection with the teas and their hybrids than own 

 root ones." I cannot agree witli any of the foregoing 

 statements as my experience of 32 years in New England 

 has amply proven that a very small number of own root 

 roses are of any value in our climate, and that to achieve 

 success with hardy roses it is absolutely necessary to use 

 budded or grafted stock. 



1 can show Mr. Smith, or any own root enthusiasts, 

 plants of such Hybrid Perpetuals as General Jacqueminot, 

 Magna Charta, Airs. Laing, Mrs. R. S. Sharman Craw- 

 ford. Paul Xeyron. John Hooper, Baron de Bonstetten. 

 and Mme. Gabriel Luizet, wdiich have stood 25 to 30 

 years of New England Winters where tem])eratures of 

 15 to 25 below zero are sometimes recorded, with nothing 

 but soil ])rotection. and all are plants worked on the 

 manctti stock : and plants of P^rau Karl Drus -hki. Gruss 

 an Teplitz. Gloire de Dijon and Mme. Caroline Testout 

 planted nearly as long, all worked on inanetti or seedling 

 briar stocks. I can take any sceptics to an old garden 

 where there are Hybrid Perpetuals planted as much as 

 44 years ago and still hale and hearty, but I do not 

 know of any one in our climate who has been able to keep 

 own root roses alive more than two or three years with 

 the possible exceptions of n few of the more vigorous 

 ramblers and H. P.'s. 



Budded or grafted roses have much greater vigor than 

 own root roses, and prove far more Winter hardy. While 

 it is true that there is some trouble with the suckers from 

 the stocks, these possess much greater vigor than the 

 roses themselves, are very thorny and carry 7 or more 

 leaf petioles compared with 5 on the roses so that even 

 an amateur can readily distinguish them. 



If as Mr. Smith states, own root roses arc so nnich 

 the best why is it that such firms as Robbink and .\tkins 

 work all their hardy roses on miiltiflora stock and this in 

 Mr. Smith's own state? Whether jiiiilli'Jora will I'.rove as 

 good a stock as manctti time alone can tell. It has not 

 proven successful for indoor roses and time is needed 

 to prove its value outdoors. 



A majority of amateurs and far too many professional 

 garrleners [jlant roses too shallow, the iMiion on budded 

 or grafted plants .should be covered fully three inches. 

 When it is above the ground success cannot he attained. 



For the warmest states own root roses are. I believe, 

 the best, but I would earnestly warn any readers "in 

 the more northern states" not to plant them under any 

 consideration. In Threat ISritain where as fine hardy ruses 

 are grown as anywdiere in the worUl, nearly all 11. P.'s 

 are worked on the manctti, and Hybrid Teas on the seed- 

 ling briar. It is not possible even in that climate to have 

 vigor, longevity and floriferousness. from own rcot roses. 



Paul Neyron is Air. Smith's choice as the best II. P. 

 While a fine old rose carrying a very l;nge but unsym- 



uK'trical tlower, I do not consider this in the same class 

 as that finest of all white roses, Frau Karl Druschki. 

 While that beautiful pink Mrs. John Laing owing to 

 its persistent flowering qualities (which qualities Druschki 

 also j)ossesses) is also much superior. 



Among climbing or pillar roses Mr. Smith does not 

 mention the beautiful Tausendschon, not so vigorous as 

 Dorothy Perkins (which he also ignores) but very re- 

 liable in New England and an early bloomer. Silver 

 Aloon. one of Dr. ^^an Fleet's charming introductions is 

 the most beautiful wdiite climber we have ; it however, has 

 some Cherokee blood in it and is a little more tender 

 than others, but we find that by cutting this and other 

 climbers loose just before the ground freezes up, laying 

 them down and sprinkling a little soil over them, they 

 winter successfully. We never cover any hardy roses 

 with strawy manure as it makes an ideal meeting place 

 for field mice, and the destruction caused by them each 

 Winter is very serious. 



While it is true that of late years the H. T.'s have 

 largeh' usurped the older H. P.'s in popularity, owing 

 to their more persistent flowering quantities, in the colder 

 New England states the H. P.'s can only be successfully 

 wintered out-doors, ^^'herc H. T.'s ar^ grown, it is 

 necessarv to carrv them n\er Winter in fram.s, in cold 

 cellars, or by burying" out-doors. Any one foolish enough 

 to plant own root roses in these States will not have to 

 wait more tlian one vear to learn of their mistake. 



FLOWERS AS TEACHERS 



{ Continued from page 145 ) 



One of them' holds a flower 



Under the other's chin; 

 The big hats shade their faces 



From the sunshine stealing in. 



The buttercup's bright rctlictiou. 



A dapple of golden hue, 

 And the smiling lips repeating 



"J like butter; do you?" 



— Genie L. and Florence J. Boyce. 



The dainty, fragrant Trailing .Arbutus is supposed to 

 imply "welcome," and can anyone familiar with the tradi- 

 tion that this beautiful, brave flower, the first to greet 

 the self-sacrificing Pilgrims after their Winter of hard- 

 ship and misfortune, doubt it was a welcome sight and 

 bought to their sad hearts a renewal of ho]ie and. as 

 Whittier tells us in his poem "The Afayflowers." a prom- 

 ise that 



"H'arnicr suns ere long shall bring 



To life the frozen sod: 

 And, through the dead Ica'rs of hope, shall spring 



Afresh the tlozvcrs of God." 



THE AMERICAN IRIS SOCIETY 



in rdoiH-ration willi 



The Horticultural Society of New York 



Will hold the Eastern Show. 1922 



Saturday, June 3 and Sunday, June 4. 



Museum Building, New York Botanical Garden, 



Bronx Park, N. \. 



