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U K T I C U L T U R E 



August 2, 1919 



RAMBLING OBSERVATIONS OF 

 A ROVING GARDENER 



I have a letter from Philadelphia 



saying that rose enthusiasts there 

 have been interested in my remarks 

 in the issue of .luly 12 about climbing 

 roses. It is stated that three of the 

 varieties which I mentioned, namely, 

 Dr. Van Fleet. American Pillar and 

 Bxcelsa, have been honored by the 

 Pennock double star. I understand 

 Mr. Pennock thinks, however, that 

 Bess Lovett is better than the climb- 

 ing American Beauty, and prefers to 

 give it the double star in that con- 

 nection. As to the fifth rose in the 

 double star list of five, he still sticks 

 to Paul's Scarlet Climber. I am told 

 that Mr. Pennock also emphasizes the 

 fact that Elizabeth Ziegler is not the 

 same color as Dorothy Perkins, which 

 fact is quite true. I do not think that 

 I would put Elizabeth Ziegler in a star 

 list of five, myself, but I should be 

 tempted to include either Silver Moon 

 or Purity, perhaps the former because 

 of its hardiness. 



Mr. Watson has been telling me thai 

 there is real foundation for mj 

 prophecy that the time is coming 

 when there will be a class of perpet- 

 ual flowering climbers. He says, in 

 fact, that Dr. Van '''leet, who is one 

 of the most dip - inguished among the 



hybridizers, as everybody knows, al- 

 ready has several new seedlings which 

 show the ever-blooming characteristic 

 to a marked degree. George C. Thomas, 

 Jr., is also working along the same 

 lines. The development of their con- 

 tinuous flowering plants will be 

 watched with eager interest. Nothing 

 in the way of rose novelties will be 

 more warmly welcomed, I am sure, by 

 the general public. 



The great value of the climbers for 

 many purposes is being appreciated 

 ;i« never before, and the growing ol 

 climbers in great variety is coming to 

 be a hobby with men who are fond 

 of garden work. 



I never remember having seen An- 

 themis used so freely in gardens as 

 this season. Perhaps that is because 

 I haven't happened to visit gardens 

 where it was in favor in past years, 

 or because I haven't given it particu- 

 lar attention. It is, to be sure, an un- 

 assuming plant, a single blossom mak- 

 ing only a poor show. A mass of 

 these flowers, though, becomes most 

 effective wherever there is a place for 

 3 ellow. There is one thing to say for 

 this hardy marguerite, which is: that 

 it will grow in almost any kind of soil, 



and that it will bloom continuously 

 and with lavish profusion from June 

 up to late summer. These plants like 

 a sunny location, although they will 

 bli om in partial shade. They are 

 > .i ily grown from seed, or by root 

 division. Perhaps A. tinctoria is best 

 for gardens because it has a particu- 

 larly long flowering season. They are 

 ! rming additions to a mixed border. 

 A lute sulphur variety is called A. 

 tinctoria pallida. This is the name of 

 the variety illustrated, the picture 

 having been made by Mr. Richard 

 Rothe, of Glenside, Pa., w-ho has much 

 to say about the value of the species 

 and varieties mentioned, as well as 

 other forms which are more dwarf in 

 habit, and excellent for rock work, in 

 b Mr. Rothe specializes. 



I am interested to see that a writer 

 in the Journal of the International 

 Garden Club also dwells upon the 

 value of the cimicifuga for garden 

 work. This writer, Mr. A. Martini, 

 points out that they are excellent for 

 naturalizing and can be transplanted 

 with ease even in well advanced 

 es of growth. He speaks of C. 

 dahurica as being particularly deco- 

 rative, having drooping feathery ra- 

 cemes of small creamy white flowers. 

 This is a cimicifuga which comes from 

 Asia, and blooms a little earlier than 

 the American representative. C. race 

 . a imetimes culled snakeroot or 

 ! "i 





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