LUTHER BURBANK 



Enough has been said to show that the rose is 

 a very tractable flower. Indeed, the very fact of 

 the number of its species and varieties sufficiently 

 attests its variability and receptivity. 



Moreover, the rose is entitled to be considered 

 pre-eminently the universal flower. It doubtless 

 excels all others in popularity and it differs from 

 most others in that it is prized equally in its differ- 

 ent varieties for its form, its color, and its 

 fragrance. 



As to all of these, to be sure, approximate per- 

 fection appears to have been attained with a good 

 many varieties of roses. Yet the fact that new 

 varieties are from time to time put forward shows 

 that there is always opportunity for improvement. 

 I have emphasized certain directions in which the 

 improvement of the many varieties is possible 

 notably in the matter of hardiness and resistance 

 to disease. 



THE CHANCE FOR NEW ROSES 



But, in point of fact, the list of qualities that 

 are taken into consideration by the connoisseur as 

 well as the commercial grower of roses is so exten- 

 sive that there is opportunity for development 

 through selective breeding of almost any existing 

 variety as to one or another trait that it lacks. 

 Abundance of bloom, lasting qualities of the 

 flower, beautiful buds, long stems, handsome foli- 



[66] 



