THE HORTICULTURAL SOCIETY OF NEW YORK 



over the rest of the world, that no one was surprised when in 1910 the 

 little village of I'Hay was officially re-christened L'Hay des Roses. 



In one of his triangular gardens he had a collection of the French roses 

 which we see in the old illuminations and embroideries. Another walk 

 had a collection of all the roses grown in Malmaison, which was one of the 

 first rose gardens made by the Empress Josephine, under the direction of 

 Redoute and the well-known botanist Ventenat. M. Gravereaux also had 

 the pleasure of reconstructing the Malmaison rose collection made in the 

 early days of the 19th century, consisting of about two hundred and fifty 

 kinds, all the roses known at that period. It was a difficult problem, but 

 after many researches he found he could trace absolutely one hundred and 

 ninety-seven species and varieties, and these he had planted at Malmaison. 

 Another part of M. Gravereaux's garden was given over to a collection of 

 botanical species. A third part had the whole collection of horticultural 

 varieties known at the present day. 



Another division was Mme. Gravereaux's cutting garden, consisting 

 entirely of plants for her own use; still another division had the new 

 roses which were being tried out. But the crown of the garden was the 

 decorative rosary where the best sorts were grown, whether on standards 

 or in low beds, in whichever way suited them best. M. Gravereaux had 

 also a museum of roses, showing the use of the rose in the decoration of 

 porcelain, pictures of roses, and a herbarium. 



M. Gravereaux, an indefatigable rosarian, then created and gave to the 

 city of Paris in the year 1901 the rosary of Bagatelle, in the Bois de 

 Boulogne, and he helped to institute the series of annual trials of roses 

 which has made Bagatelle known the world over. Here the rose-growers 

 of Europe and this country send their best roses for a trial of a year or 

 two or three. Experiments are made with them, and none is given a certifi- 

 cate or a name until it has proved itself to be worthy of a place in the Book 

 of the Rose. 



The plan of Bagatelle is very different from M. Gravereaux's own rosary. 

 There is much more grass and fewer flower beds, since the space is larger 

 and no such great collection of plants was intended for a public garden as 

 M. Gravereaux wanted for his own private amusement. 



There is no large public rose garden near New York, and so the Hor- 

 ticultural Society of New York and the New York Botanical Garden in 

 cooperation are making one in the recently acquired area which forms the 

 southern part of the Botanical Garden. A valley of irregular shape has 

 been chosen as the site. It will be easily accessible from the east by a new 

 road now being constructed to connect with the parks and districts lying 

 in this direction. From the south a road leads up from Pelham Parkway 

 past the garden, continuing to the Mansion. Paths connecting with the 

 general system of park communications have also been laid out, so that it 

 should be easy to walk around or through the garden from any point in 

 its near neighborhood. As the valley is irregular in shape, no rectangular 



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