ROSE PROGRESS 91 



The Increasing Regard for Roses 



In his book, "The Cultivated Man," Charles W. Eliot 

 says: "A brook, a hedge-row, or a garden is an inexhaustible 

 teacher of wonder, reverence, and love." 



Another one of "America's noblemen," G. A. Parker*, 

 with exquisite feeling, thus portrays the possible influence of 

 the rose on the lives of men, when, in telling of the rose- 

 garden at Elizabeth Park, he says: 



"I have come to think of beauty as the love-letter of the 

 Creator, through which He is wooing us unto Himself; for 

 beauty is spiritual, and not physical. 



"A love-letter is a message into which the sender puts a 

 part of his very self, and the one who receives it, in some 

 mysterious way, weaves it into a part of his very life. It 

 matters little what words are used or how the message is 

 sent, providing it becomes a part of the sender and of the 

 receiver. Surely the Creator uses a most beautiful form when 

 He avails Himself of the roses to convey His message." 



Among the real rose-lovers now scattered widely over our 

 great country, it is difficult to conceive of a finer loyalty than 

 already exists toward the flower of their choice. Such devo- 

 tion as theirs is bearing fruit. Better roses in their gardens 

 are arousing more abundant admiration on the part of neigh- 

 bors. This results in more "recruits." Rose societies spring 

 up here and there. The members help each other, and more 

 and more each one comes to know the joy of growing one's 

 own roses. This is just what has been going on in many sec- 

 tions of our great country. The delights of rose-growing have 

 been revealed to vastly increasing numbers of amateurs 

 within the past few years. The "garden magazines" have 

 helped. The "garden clubs" have been a prominent factor. 



There are, perhaps, half a dozen rose men Iecturingf on this 

 fascinating subject and forwarding the good work. All have 

 helped, and the combined efforts of these various agencies 

 are beginning to bloom into activities of great promise. 



♦"American Rose Annual," 1016, pages 71, 72.. 

 t A list of these will be furnished on request. 



