112 



THE GARDEN MAGAZINE 



October, 1912 



Growing Roses from Seed 



GROWING roses from seed is always an interest- 

 ing, though often slow, process. Whether 

 it really pays for the pains can be ascertained 

 only by trying. 



In the case here illustrated it did pa}'. The 

 seed planted was Rosa mulli flora and the result 

 a semi-double rose of a shell pink hue. Left 

 a great deal to its own devices, it is quite effective 

 as part of a garden boundary. 



Seed of several worth while rose species is in the 

 market. In addition to Rosa mulli flora, there are 

 the sweetbrier (R. rubiginosa), the early wild rose 

 (R. blanda), the ramanas or wrinkled rose (R. 

 rugosa), the swamp rose (R. Carolina), the dwarf 

 wild rose (R. lucida) and the low rose (R. humilis). 

 There is also the dwarf multiflora (R. m., var. 

 nana), which, in favorable circumstances, will bloom 

 the first year from seed. 



Rose seeds are usually gathered in the autumn. 

 They may be safely gathered earlier, however — . 

 after the seeds are hard but before the hips have 

 completely reddened — and some maintain that 

 by so doing germination will be hastened. The 

 hips may be dried and the seeds rubbed out, but 

 as germination is slow enough any way the better 

 plan is either to stratify them in moist sand or to 

 soften them in a pan with a little water, in a 

 warm place. When the hips are well rotted, rub 

 and wash the seeds clean. Occasionally the soften- 

 ing is done in a pan of water placed over a warm 

 pipe and the seed left there until signs of germina- 

 tion are shown. With both stratifying and fer- 

 menting the germination is more nearly uniform 

 than in the case of dried seed. 



Plant the soaked, or dried, seed at once in care- 

 fully prepared and well manured beds of light 

 sandy loam out of doors or in flats or pans in a cool 

 greenhouse. If there is a considerable quantity of 

 seed, it may be sown in drills one foot apart. Seed 

 planted out of doors should be covered with two 

 inches of pine needles, leaves or litter. And beware 

 of mice; they like rose seeds. 



Remove this covering when the seedlings appear. 

 If any fail to appear, leave a light mulch to keep 

 down weeds and prevent drying out. Under glass 

 R. mulli flora is likely to come up in a few weeks 

 and out of doors the spring after planting; but R. 

 rubiginosa or R. rugosa may choose to take eighteen 

 instead of six months to show itself in the open 

 ground. Because of this uncertainty it is better 

 not to disturb the seed bed, pans or flats for a year 

 and a half and to keep them moist all the time. 



Shade the seedlings and thin out if too thick. 

 Transplant in October or November, pruning any 

 long roots. Take out the strongest and top dress the 

 bed with manure. The next spring may bring even 

 better plants. Plant in rows about one foot apart 

 and six inches apart in the rows. Shorten the tops 

 if the plants are spindling. Mulch with manure 

 and in the spring prune to the best bud. If in- 

 doors prune about two months after transplanting. 



Rose seedlings grow rapidly and when two years 

 old may be planted out permanently. Some kinds, 

 as has been said, bloom the first year from seed 

 but it must be remembered that hybrids do not 

 always disclose their real character at the outset. 

 These should be given a second or third season 

 before any are discarded. 



New York. H. S. Adams. 



Roses for the South 



OF LATE I have observed that writers speak 

 of condemning roses to a retired spot because, 

 when out of bloom, the bushes are not ornamental. 

 The leggy, rusty condition of a Hybrid Perpetual in 

 August is quite familiar to me but, for gardens 

 where they are hard}' and can attain some size, there 

 are some Teas and Noisettes that are as truly 

 ornamental as many of our most valued shrubs and 

 climbers. What shrub has more polished leaves 

 and graceful habit than a Duchesse dej Brabant? 

 And how incomparable it is when adorned with a 

 thousand perfect shell pink blooms. 



On the 29th and 30th of last August I visited a 

 large wholesale nursery in this state, where field 

 after field is planted with a great variety of roses. 

 The following notes which I took may be of 

 interest to some other Southern readers: 



Anloinc Rivoirc. Handsome salmon-pink buds in 

 clusters of three to six. Open flower very wide, 

 loosely put together, faintly flushed pink on white 

 ground. Upright vigorous grower like Kaiserin. 



Bougcre. Not much good. 



Chas. Rovolli. Light pink or cream with tips 

 of petals shaded darker pink. An extra fine flower 

 of an unusual type. Habit of growth good, some- 

 what like Duchess. Don't miss growing it. 



Climbing Mad. C Teslout. Throws long thorny 

 canes as ungraceful as those of the Climbing 

 Meteor. Young growth red, very stout. Blooms 

 a wonderful, bright, clear pink; petals large and 

 slightly recurved showing the yellow stamens. 

 Diameter of flower extra. Get the bush form, 

 Madame Caroline Testout, instead. 



Climbing Marie Guillot. White varying to 

 yellow. Handsome buds in open, long-stemmed 

 clusters of three to five. Flowers large and of 



excellent form. The vine is especially graceful, 

 the red tipped young growth being slender and 

 somewhat zig-zag. 



Sotfalare. Very like the above, especially in 

 habit and leafage. The color is sulphur-yellow. 

 It is almost as handsome and is very much hardier 

 than its relative, the Marechal Niel. 



Marechal Niel seems to grow better and to bear 

 larger and deeper golden blooms when budded or 

 grafted than when on its own roots. 



Helen Gould (Baldoitin). Color, rosy-crimson; 

 buds and flowers both of fine shape; size varies 

 from small to large. Bushes thin but foliage 

 healthy; few thorns. 



Empress Eugenie. Flowers like Clothilde Soupert 

 but larger and a solid pink. Handsome bush. 



Madame Joseph Schwartz. Habit of growth and 

 shape of flower like the Duchess de Brabant. 

 Color white, flushed pink, but varies to yellow. 



Rev. C. Wanter. Habit like above, very free 

 blooming, flowers full, petals slender, a few usually 

 reflexed. Color pink, shaded darker toward 

 centre. 



Madame Jules Grolez. Low growing bushes but 

 good foliage, reddish tips and shining green leaves. 

 Flowers of the same type as Helen Gould, but lighter 

 in color, a bright china-rose. Outer petals reflex 

 enough to be pretty and quill as they turn down. 

 Splendid line of blooms. Do not miss having. 



Olivia. Flowers resemble those of Helen Gould 

 but are not so good. 



Gen. Mc Arthur. Very moderate. Perhaps it is 

 better at other seasons of the year. 



Marie Van Houtte. Creamy-white inner petals, 

 outer ones pink; pretty but fades with red specks. 

 Semi-double. Growth, wide and open, foliage 

 large and dark green. 



Mile. Francisca Krugcr. Not a desirable rose 

 for this section. The buds are frequently prevented 

 from opening by the browning of the outer petals. 

 In the open flower the petals are so crumpled and 

 twisted that their beauty is almost lost. The 

 color runs through various shades of red, yellow, 

 and amber. 



Mrs. B. R. Cant. Habit of growth like Papa 

 Gontier but is more upright. Flowers very full, 

 all petals point to the front, the outer ones being 

 quilled like a dahlia. Color, red and deep shades of 

 rose, often lighter toward centre. 



Helen Good. A comparatively new member of 

 the lovely Cochet family. The Cochets in their per- 

 fection of coloring, grace and finish, have an air 

 of expensiveness about them as though no ordinary 

 mortal ought to be able to possess one. Yet here 

 long lines of plants are bending beneath such a 

 load of beauty as demands our utmost wonder and 

 delight. 



Mississippi. R. N. Lobdell. 



■Roses from seed are truly one's own roses. Six-year-old specimen of Rosa viulliftora from seed 



