1570 



KOSE 



also have a darker shade of green than the Japanese 

 type and its buds are longer, more pointed, and show 

 between the narrow folded petals shades of rich red and 

 crimson Its clusters of flowers also differ, as it has 

 four to five flower-buds together,while the Japanese type 

 has only two to three. In addition, we now know by 

 trial that both these Russian types may be grown suc- 

 cessfully two degrees farther north than the Japanese 

 R. ruaosa. 



The work of crossing the Russian R. rugosa began at 

 the Iowa Agricultural College in June, 1892. The pollen 

 of over a dozen of the best garden varieties was used, 

 but that of General Jacqueminot was used most exten- 

 sively, as it produces pollen most freely. The final 

 result was quite unexpected, as no double variety with 

 rugose leaves was produced when the pollen of any 

 variety was used except that of General Jacqueminot. 

 From 497 flowers of R. rugosa fertilized with pollen from 

 General Jacqueminot, we grew 255 plants. From these 

 we were able to select over 20 varieties with double 

 flowers ranging in number of petals from 15 to 150, 

 with handsome rugosa foliage and surprising vigor of 

 growth. Nearly all showed the crimson color of petals 

 of the male parent. 



At the same time we pollinated the blossoms of our 

 native species Rosa blanda and Rosa Arkansana with 

 pollen of General Jacqueminot and other Hybrid Per- 

 petuals, but wholly without valuable results, as the 

 crosses seemed too violent. Most of the hybrids showed 

 modified foliage and habit of growth, but all except 

 three bore single flowers. The three double varieties 

 developed blossom-buds freely, but in no cases have the 

 blossoms expanded into perfect flowers. When appar- 

 ently ready to expand they began to turn black in the 

 center and drop off. It is also well to state that the 

 pollen of White and Yellow Harison used on Rosa 

 rugosa, var. Regeliana, developed remarkably vigorous 

 hybrids which gave clusters of promising buds, but up 

 to the present not a single flower-bud has fully ex- 

 panded. The late E. S. Carman, however, reported 

 better results with this cross of Harison's Yellow and 

 rugosa (A. G. 1890, p. 665), and a picture of one of his 

 hybrids is shown in Fig. 2186. As in Europe, our 

 marked success has been with the pollen of General 

 Jacqueminot, which seems to show a near affinity to all 

 the types of R. rugosa. 



With increased experience other cultivated varieties 

 will be discovered that will cross in a profitable way with 

 R. rugosa. and still others will be found that will cross 

 profitably with our native species. At present, how- 

 ever, the east European R. rugosa seems to be the most 

 promising progenitor of the future Roses of the North- 

 west. We already have fine double varieties with 60 

 petals, such as the I. A. C., with the rich color of 

 General Jacqueminot and the fine leaves of R. rugosa. 

 The main trouble at present is in propagation. As with 

 the type, the best hybrids of R. rugosa are difficult to 

 grow from cuttings. We find that they can be budded 

 readily on strong seedlings of our native species. 



It may be in the near future that the seeds of the 

 large-growing Wild Roses of the Black Hills will be 

 used by propagators for stock-growing. When that 

 time comes we already have varieties hardy enough for 

 the North that compare favorably with the best varieties 

 of more equable climates. Strong-growing stocks are 

 advised, as the vigor of some of the hybrids is remark- 

 able. On the writer's lawn is a bush of the Ames 

 variety three years old that stands 7 ft. high, with 

 several stems three-fourths of an inch in diameter. 



J. L. BUDD. 



Boses in Southern California. In many localities in 

 southern California the Queen of Flowers attains a per- 

 fection probably found nowhere else. That this perfec- 

 tion is not general throughout southern California is 

 partially owing to adverse conditions, such as great 

 range of temperature during each twenty-four hours, 

 heavy fogs at critical periods, etc., but as a rule, failure 

 in whole or in part is due to the lack of intelligent treat- 

 ment. The chief obstacle to successful culture is the 

 attempt to produce blooms every day of the year. 

 Although this practice is quite an impossibility with 

 any Rose, the evil is still persisted in by ninety-nine in 

 every hundred possessors of a garden. While Roses 



ROSE 



are grown in great profusion in Los Angeles, few, if 

 any, do as well here as in Pasadena, which, although 

 only nine miles distant, has the advantage of being 

 several hundred feet higher than Los Angeles, and 

 therefore less subject to fog or great range in daily 

 temperature. In some places a certain few Roses will 

 produce an astonishingly fine crop of bloom, when but 

 a mile or two distant, with no change of soil and very 

 slight difference in altitude, they will be utterly worth- 

 less ; while a like number of other varieties will give as 

 good returns as those first mentioned. Consequently 

 the common inquiry at a nursery as to "What are the 

 best dozen Roses I can grow?" is usually met by the 

 equally pertinent query: "In what part of the city do 

 you live?' 1 



Many Roses do fairly well everywhere, and among 

 these Duchesse de Brabant more nearly produces a con- 

 tinuous crop of blossoms than any other. For this 

 reason it stands in a class by itself and is not consid- 

 ered in the appended list of the best dozen Roses for 

 southern California, though every one should grow at 

 least one bush of this variety. Along with the Duchesse 

 might well be placed the Polyantha Madame Cecil 

 Brunner, and the climbers Cherokee, Banksia, Ophire 

 (or Gold of Ophir), Beauty of Glazenwood or Fortune's 

 Double Yellow. All these produce most wonderful 

 crops, but none more so than the last mentioned, which 

 in favored regions produces a wealth of flowers simply 

 dazzling to behold. Many well-known Californian 

 writers assert that Gold of Ophir and Beauty of Glazen- 

 wood are one and the same Rose, but this is by no 

 means the case and the writer can furnish satisfactory 

 ocular proof to any who choose to doubt this statement. 

 Gold of Ophir was here for many years before the other 

 made its appearance, and some of the original plants 

 are still growing on many of the old homesteads of Los 

 Angeles and vicinity. 



All the Roses named thus far are worthy of a place in 

 any garden. One of the chief causes of failure by the 

 average amateur is the lack of an intelligent knowledge 

 of the plant's first requirement recurring periods of 

 absolute rest. These necessary resting periods are best 

 secured by the withholding of the water supply. Most 

 amateurs, and a majority of self-styled "gardeners," 

 persist, against all rules of common sense, in planting 

 Roses either in the lawn or in mixed borders with other 

 plants. In either case, all but the Roses require a con- 

 stant watering. Having planted in this fashion, the 

 grower has cast away all chances of first-class results. 

 Rose beds should never be made a feature in landscape 

 gardening, as the plants when dormant and judiciously 

 pruned are unsightly objects at best. The most obscure 

 spot obtainable with the proper exposure is the place 

 to grow flowers. To obtain the best results the Rose 

 requires the same amount of rest here that it secures 

 where the winter season leaves the grower no alterna- 

 tive. But the same amount of rest may here be given 

 semi-annually, with equally as good and perhaps better 

 results than is possible with one long annual period of 

 inactivity. 



The writer firmly believes that with a proper exercise 

 of intelligence in the selection of varieties and subse- 

 quent care of plants, better results can be obtained in 

 California than in any other state in the Union. Though 

 some few localities must be excepted, they form but a 

 very small area and may be passed with a mere men- 

 tion of their existence. Climate is the all-important 

 feature of Rose culture in this section, and if that be 

 satisfactory the character of the soil makes little dif- 

 ference. Our dry summer air is a serious drawback to 

 the growth of many Roses, there being few places where 

 Moss Roses thrive, and these must be grown in whole 

 or partial shade. Niphetos and Marechal Neil are good 

 examples of Roses requiring partial shade if good re- 

 sults are desired. Many localities cannot grow the two 

 last mentioned, or such as Perle des Jardins, Meteor, 

 Catherine Mermet, Francisca Kruger, Reine Marie 

 Heuriette, and many others, on account of mildew. 

 Even among varieties whose buds are immune, it is 

 often impossible to get foliage unaffected. Injudicious 

 watering is more largely to blame for these unfavorable 

 conditions than any other agency. Laurette is a Rose 

 which often produces the only perfect flowers to be 



