WHERE THE DESERT 

 BLOOMS WITH ROSES 



How extensively the state of California supplies this country with rose 

 plants is little appreciated by those who have not seen the stretches covered 

 with them in the southern part of the Golden State. Packed though it is with 

 information, this article, even, touches only the high spots. 



LTHOUGH for years the 

 eastern trade has been 

 aware in a general way 

 that large quantities of 

 roses are grown in and 

 shipped from California, it 

 is doubtful if many flo- 

 rists realize to what extent 

 this business has devel- 

 oped. For a long time it 

 was thought that roses from this fa- 

 vored climate would not stand well 

 when transplanted to the more trying 

 conditions in the east and middle west, 

 but experience has proved that such 

 fears were groundless and that, as a 

 matter of fact, the tliorough ripening, 

 or consolidating of the wood, under the 

 influence of the California sun makes 

 for hardiness rather than tenderness. 

 A well known firm, at Hemet, had 

 long used as a slogan ' ' Desert Climate 

 Grown Roses," and there is no (juestion 

 that there is great merit in these. C. W. 

 Howard, of the Howard Rose Co., of 

 Hemet, writes interestingly on this sub- 



By H. R. RICHARDS. 



ject and says, in part: "Not only in 

 roses, but in all nursery stock are the 

 effects of the climate shown. We have 

 in past years several times seen walnut 

 foliage burn from the excessive heat at 

 near-coast points, while our foliage here 

 would escape entirely. Yet the damage 

 was done by a desert wind that came 

 over our heads, but our plants arc accli- 

 mated." 



This latter point is the gist of the 

 whole thing. From the earliest stages 

 these plants are exposed to conditions 

 that would seriously injure sappy, green 

 wood, grown where abundant atmos- 

 pheric moisture prevails. It is obvious, 

 then, that even when taken to a colder 

 climate their sturdiness and hardiness 

 will be in their favor, and this accounts 

 for the many repeat orders tliat come 

 here. 



Last year the above firm harvested 

 fifty-four acres of rose plants and, as 

 the rows were three feet apart and the 



individual plants from four to five 

 inches in the row, this, as may be imag- 

 ined, is a big undertaking. To quote Mr. 

 Howard again, "It was some job har- 

 vesting the crop last year and it again 

 seems large in anticipation, for we have 

 this year more than fifty acres. This 

 season's planting will not be any less, 

 but, judging from the condition of our 

 ])ropagating beds at this date, the plants 

 will cover even more. After one long 

 season in our desert climate fields, the 

 mature plants will be put on the market 

 in January, 1923." 



Most of the stock is grown on its 

 own roots, although some varieties are 

 budded. One of the most popular stocks 

 for budding on is Ragged Robin, a va- 

 riety that does not readily produce suck- 

 ers, which are such a nuisance either 

 in the garden or in the greenhouse. Bud- 

 ding at Hemet is practiced mostly on 

 the weaker growers that do not "size 

 up ' ' on own-root plants. In addition to 

 own-root and budded roses, the growers 

 are also experimenting with bench 



Vhere Three-quarters of a MllUon Rotes Are Grown, in the San Fernando Valley, CallfomU. 



