NEW ROSES FOR THE GARDEN 



CHARLES E. F. GERSDORFF 



Varieties that Have Made Good — Seventy-odd New Comers which Measure Up 

 to the Highest Standards of Plant Vigor, Floriferousness, and Quality of Bloom 



Editor's Note: — The accompanying notes are offered as a selective guide to the gardeners who want only the best all-round varieties; 

 others omitted may excel in some one quality but are not evenly balanced — such varieties are for the connoisseur and the collector. What Mr. 

 Gersdorff says is in no way mere haphazard conclusions. A close student of Roses, in his own garden and in the Rose Test Garden of 

 the Dept. of Agriculture at Washington, he has made careful, systematic, and constant notes on the performance of varieties from the 

 garden viewpoint. To such work he brings a mind trained in scientific analysis, and the "survivals" as given in this article survive 

 because they outpoint others (not named for lack of space) on all three essentials of plant vigor, with quality, and quantity of bloom. 



\S IT worth while to plant new Roses considering the 

 number of older favorites still available, and that during 

 the last ten years more than five hundred new varieties 

 have been introduced? Of these newcomers about two 

 hundred have been tried out in this country, and most of them 

 were found wanting in something and failed to survive more 

 than two or three seasons. Would not this tend to prove that 

 growing new Roses is pretty much of a gamble? But were it 

 not for the gambling instinct inherent in most of us, few, if any, 

 of the new Roses would ever have a trial, yet some of them are 

 in every way worthy to grace our gardens. Each succeeding 

 year a few stand out as preeminently suited to our peculiar 

 growing conditions, for it is really a lack of vigor with a conse- 

 quent tendency to bloom poorly that accounts for so many 

 novelties dropping out of existence. It was in this way — 

 through the elimination of undesirables — that the list of old, 

 tried and true varieties accumulated, and progress is always, 

 being made. 



Why do the new Roses often fail to come up to standard for 

 us as they do for their originators? Is it because the breeders 

 of to-day are less scientific and less careful in the work of breed- 

 ing than their predecessors? No, the fault lies elsewhere, and 

 failures may be definitely attributed to two causes: 



First: most of the novelties come from Europe, and Roses 

 bred for the conditions over there and which are winners where 

 the climate is peculiarly suited to their successful culture are 

 likely to respond differently here. 



Second: most of the varieties originated in America have 

 been developed by growers who are striving toward the definite 

 goal of ideal Roses for greenhouse culture. 



Now, when greenhouse beauties are tried in the garden the 

 chances of success are much greater than when good garden 

 varieties are taken into the greenhouse; and though the number 

 of American Roses tried out for the garden have been few, the 

 percentage proving successful is high. Our hybridizers are 

 awakening to the fact that the future of the Rose in America 

 is not alone in the greenhouse, but quite as much in the garden; 

 for witness, look at the increasing number of true garden Roses 

 introduced during the last few seasons and making good. 

 | A Rose of proven merit is not necessarily successful in all 

 regions. Growing conditions vary and, naturally, plants are 

 influenced favorably or otherwise. However, I herewith set 

 down my views on such of the newer Roses as have come under 

 my observation and which appeal to me as significantly mark- 

 ing progress. The garden Rose which has attained the greatest 

 prominence of late years is the Hybrid-tea, and with few excep- 

 tions the kinds now described are of that class. 



Yellow Roses. These are my favorites; perhaps because good yel- 

 lows are scarce. Grange Colombe (H. T.), from France, by Guillot in 

 1912, is a Rose of much promise for the garden. It is a creamy white 

 with a salmon yellow and fawn centre, clear colors, lasting well; loosely 

 built blooms very freely produced. The [plant is of vigorous erect 

 growth. Among other beauties from France I like Mrs. Chas. Lutaud 

 (H. T.), one of Pernet-Ducher's creations of 191 3. It is a large 'flower, 

 tinted with carmine in the bud, but opening to a medium shade of clear, 

 dull yellow; a vigorous grower. Another Pernet-Ducher beauty of 



19 1 3 which has proven its worth as a bedding Rose, producing 

 large, full, cup-shaped clear yellow blooms, is Mrs. T. Hillas (H. T.). 

 In 191 5, also, Parnet-Ducher gave us a gorgeous addition to the yellow 

 group in Mme. Collette Martinet (H. T.), beautiful both in bud and open 

 bloom, a rich golden yellow changing to old gold shaded with 

 orange yellow, attractively set off by its bronzy green foliage. 

 I Elli Hartmann (H. T.), from Welter, Germany, 1913, is a rich old 

 gold in shade. It is distinct and fine, of medium to large size, giving 

 an average amount of bloom which is very durable ; in growth is vigor- 

 ous and bushy. Tipperary, an Irish Hybrid-tea from McGredy & 

 Son, 1916, introduced here by Chas. H. Totty, gives clear, light yellow 

 blooms of medium size. It is a fine bloomer and strong grower. 



In Golden Emblem, (H. T.) from the same source in 1918, through H. 

 A. Dreer, Inc., we have a yellow of much promise for garden and bed- 

 ding purposes. It is a very fine, constant-blooming Rose, having beau- 

 tifully formed, large double flowers, fragrant and of a deep, rich golden 

 yellow. Its foliage is a glossy green. One of the latest, an English 

 Hybrid-tea of B. R. Cant & Sons, 192 1 (C. H. Totty, American intro- 

 ducer), which shows promise for our gardens is Golden Ophelia. In 

 color it is a deep rich yellow, like Lady Hillingdon (191 1, also intro- 

 duced by Totty) at its best and its growth is similar. Blooms are freely 

 and generously produced. It is not, however, an Ophelia type. 



Good Whites are scarce; there are, indeed, but few of outstanding 

 quality. British Queen (H. T.) McGredy & Son, 1912, is pure white, 

 except in the bud stage when it is tinted pale flesh, with large and finely 

 formed blooms of fine fragrance; quite floriferous and of very vigorous 

 growth. A real American is Mrs. John Cook (1920), from the original 

 Hybrid-tea Rose "factory" of this country, the Baltimore, Md., estab- 

 lishment of John Cook. It is a real giant amongst garden Roses; 

 flowers of great substance, glistening clear white, sometimes slightly 

 tinted pink on the outer petals; has many outstanding qualities. 



Pale to Light Pinks. Selections of merit in this group include Mme. 

 Jules Bouche by Croibier & Sons, 191 1 ; Panama by John Cook, 1913; 

 Lucien Chaure by Soupert & Notting, Luxembourg, 1914; Amalie de 

 Greiff by Peter Lambert, Germany, 1914; Mme. Marcel Delanney by 

 Leenders, 19 16; and Rosalind by F. R. Pierson, 19 18. 



Mme. Jules Bouche has lived up to its early promises. It is a white- 

 shaded light pink, the shadings being variable; colors are clear, form is 

 good, blooms medium sized and freely produced; growth is tall. 

 Panama is a good steady bloomer; growth bushy; blooms are not very 

 full, a light pink with distinct silky finish. Lucien Chaure showed 

 distinct promise when introduced and has made a record as one of the 

 best; large finely formed blossoms, in color a blend of creamy pink and 

 flesh, are very freely given. Amalie de Greiff is a fine grower and free 

 bloomer giving delicately colored flowers of satiny finish, rose tinted 

 white, long and shapely and borne on strong stems. Mme. Marcel 

 Delanney is of distinct coloring, a soft pale rose-pink shaded hydrangea 

 pink, the flowers being large, full, and fragrant, fine of form on good 

 stems. The vigorous plants are very free blooming. Rosalind is a 

 sport of Ophelia, carrying with it all the good qualities of its parent, 

 differing only in color which is a light, clear shade of pink. Inciden- 

 tally, Madame Butterfly (1920) likewise a sport of Ophelia, promises 

 to outclass Rosalind. 



Deeper Pinks, ranging from Salmon to Deep Rose, are well represented. 

 Killarney Queen (Budlong, 191 2) is an American sport of the well known 

 Killarney and has shown itself to be the most reliable sport as to con- 

 stancy of color. It is a free, vigorous grower and bloomer, giving blooms 

 of sparkling cerise pink. Another sport of Killarney (Alex. Dickson & 

 Sons in 1 9 14 and Dreer in America) called Killarney Brilliant, has shown 



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