CHAPTER III 

 HOW TO CHOOSE THE CHOICEST 



"A rose with all its sweetest leaves yet folded.'' 



— Lord Byron 



THIS is a vital matter. The most complete and authori- 

 tative Hst of roses in our possession shows 10,281 varie- 

 ties. The most complete collection in any one plantation 

 that has come under our observation we did not attempt to 

 count. It is said to contain about 7,500 varieties, includ- 

 ing every known species and every variety now obtainable 

 in the civilized world. (This garden, the Roseraie de I'Hay, 

 will be found more fully described on page 13.) 



The average number of roses actually in commerce in the 

 different countries abroad prior to August 1, 1914, was approxi- 

 mately one thousand, while less than a half of that is the 

 average number offered in America by the leading rose firms 

 whose products can be rehed upon as true to name. 



When we recall that the average amateur must confine his 

 selection to even a much smaller number than this, often to 

 among only two dozen kinds, the paramount importance of a 

 proper selection is quite apparent. 



Dr. L. H. Bailey, formerly of Cornell University, and editor 

 of that standard authority, the Cyclopedia of American Horti- 

 culture, says: "The success of the rose in this country is very 

 largely a question of the selection of adaptable varieties." 



Pemberton, in his excellent work, '*Roses," sajs to begin- 

 ners: "State 3^our requirements to a friend who is an expert 

 and leave the selection to him." This book would be a "friend" 

 to every rose-grower — how "expert" you must judge from its 

 contents. 



America is a big country, and allowances must be made for 

 differences in soil, climate, and other conditions. Rules are 

 offered for use and application by the reader to the conditions 

 that obtain in his or her locality. If there arise conditions not 

 herein covered, the author will be glad from his own experience 

 to assist readers in solving their individual problems. 



Where do you live? The answer to this question is the first 



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