The Glory of the Rose 



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THE rose has been known to man from the earliest hours of 

 history. It has been mentioned in story and song in all ages. 

 It is the eternal flower of love, the emhlem of sentiment. 

 "All the world loves a lover," said Emerson. And it is 

 true that all the world loves roses, probably for the same reason. 

 Cherished in the palaces and gardens of the ricn and mignty, it 

 is, nevertheless, the flower of all classes and stations in life. 



The fancier may differ in his tastes; the pocketbook may dic- 

 tate the choice of many; the wealthy gardener may have the most 

 exquisite flowers of every land and clime at his beck and call, 

 but all unite in claiming the rose as the first flower. And this 

 universal love for the rose is unequaled elsewhere in all the things 

 which Nature has given us. 



Ijt grows wild in the temperate zone thruout the world. When 

 the pioneers poured down over the Allegheny Mountains and into 

 the plains of Kentucky and Ohio, later upon tne prairies of Illinois, 

 Iowa, and the West, they found the wild rose everywhere. Full 

 many a prairie home was gladdened and enriched in those trouble- 

 some days by the splendor and color of the wild rose. It brought 

 a vision of peace and lofty sentiment to those sturdy souls in 

 their hours of struggle; it gladdened the hearts of the lovers and 

 brightened frontier weddings without number. The first flower 

 that the bride planted in her dooryard, whether in the forests 

 of Kentucky or in the sod huts of Kansas, was the queen of the 

 prairie, the wild rose. _ 



The rose has left an imperishable imprint upon the literature of 

 all times and races. During the days of feudalism and chivalry 

 it was the accepted badge of favor. Sturdy knights and mighty 

 warriors battled the one with the other in contests of prowess to 

 win the rose of some fair lady. To have this token from the gen- 

 tler sex was a higher tribute than any that royalty might bestow. 



In the period of the Renaissance, when the blight of the Dark 

 Ages was lifting before the dawn of modern literature, we find 

 the rose still the favorite of mankind. When Dante thought of 

 love and the queenly Beatrice, he sang sonnets to the rose. 



To trace the rose in literature would be to produce a compila- 

 tion of the work of all authors and poets. Never has man or woman 

 achieved fame in letters without writing of the rose. The litera- 

 ture of France, of Spain, of England, of Ireland, of sturdy old 

 Scotland, of Scandinavia, of America, is replete with it. 



We find it even in the fables of antiquity. Among the ancients 

 it was held sacred to Cupid and Venus, called Eros and Apnrodite 

 respectively, by the Greeks. They considered it the emblem of 

 joy and love, and at the same time, of prudence. 



The Romans placed it over the door when a feast was in progress 

 and whoever passed under it incurred a solemn obligation not 

 to reveal what was seen or heard. From this custom has sprung 

 the term "sub rosa," meaning "under the rose," as applied to any- 

 thing revealed in confidence. 



Later, it was placed at the entrance to confessional at Rome, 

 as a symbol of secrecy. In poetry, it has ever stood as a symbol 

 of purity and innocence; to all classes it has ever been the emblem 

 of everything beautiful and deligntful. 



In art, as in literature, we find it going back to the very dawn 

 of the Aryan race. It is seen in tne art of the Greeks, the Romans, 

 the Egyptians, the Assyrians. Tne Etruscan rose is almost as 

 famous as the Etruscan vase. The rose has been distinctly a 

 favorite of the Western world, as distinguished against the Orient. 

 It is strikingly absent ia the horticultural affairs of the early 

 Chinese and Japanese. 



In history, the rose has played an important part. In the days 

 ot Heraldry, it was a badge worn by whole armies. The badge ot 

 the House of Lancaster was the rose gules, and the rose ardent 

 of the House of York. Henry VI, king of England, was sur- 

 rounded and supported by the adherents of the House of Lancaster 

 in his claim to the throne. Richard Duke of York, had a better 



claim to the throne tjy descent and his adherents provoked one 

 quarrel after another with the Lancasterians, in the hope of ulti- 

 mately placing Richard on the throne. The personal emblem of 

 the Duke of York was a white rose, which his followers adopted 

 in order to distinguish friend from foe. Trie House of Lancaster 

 promptly adopted the red rose as its emblem. From tnis fact, 

 the struggles between the two families for the throne of England 

 which lasted several years, came to be known as the "War of the 

 Roses," Thus the rose played an important part in at least one 

 war, a war waich destroyed the flower of English manhood and 

 eventually made it possible for the French to drive the English 

 off the continent forever. 



Roses in the future are going to be better understood by the 

 people at large; they are becoming more and more common in 

 family gardens and the uses to which they may be devoted in 

 addition to their bloom, will bring a fuller realization of the glory 

 and beauty of the rose to every lover of Nature. Too long we 

 have labored under the impression that rose culture was not for 

 the masses; that this queen of the florist's art was distinctly a 

 creature of skill and intricate care. Too long our gardens have 

 been bare of the queen of flowers and our vases empty. 



The rush of commercialism in the early days of the present 

 industrial age seemed to sweep all sentiment, all love for the 

 leisurely joy of growing things and enriching life and home with 

 flowers, out of our lives. But the advent of universal prosperity, 

 the coming of the thought that of all attainments the home is 

 the most important, the settling down of America to enoble and 

 to enrich herself in the worthier things, has swept back that old 

 desire, that old longing, for the "vine over the door." 



And never before has the great middle class been so favored 

 whether here or elsewhere. The modest backlot gardens in many 

 cities outrank tnose of the aristocracy of yesterday. Many a busy 

 housewife has a larger and better garden than that boasted by ner 

 Colonial grandmotner. 



Tne natural love for the rose has had a great deal to do with this 

 revival of the interest in floriculture. Hardly has sod bten turned 

 before thoughts of roses blooming in the garden come to the gar- 

 den lover. It assumes expression often before a shrub is planted 

 or lawns established. 



The rose stands for permanency. It has none of the disadvan- 

 tages of annual flowers which endure for a season and must be 

 planted again each succeeding spring. It endures from year to 

 year, blooming each season and attaining a varying growth de- 

 pending upon variety. It blooms the first season, if properly 

 established, and continues to repay the gardener thruout the 

 years. The Teas and Hybrid Teas are, as a general rule, con- 

 tinuous in the blooming habit and one or two of the Hybrid Per- 

 petuals display the same admirable trait. 



_ There is a rose for every climate where people live in any con- 

 siderable numbers. Wild varieties are found in Lapland and 

 Labrador. Even the delicate teas are successfully grown out- 

 doors in Canada, where thousands of them are to be found in the 

 public parks. 



4 As tnere is a rose for every climate, so tnere is a rose for every 

 purpose, susceptible of outdoor cultivation. From the tiny 

 polyanthas to the giant and rugged rugosas and climbing varieties, 

 there is a wide selection for almost any condition that may be 

 present. Unsightly terraces or bare spots in lawn or park or cem- 

 etery may be made a place of beauty with the creeping varieties. 



In the rose we find all the variations whjch climate, nature and 

 skill in man can combine. It is not extraordinary, then, that the 

 rose should have the universal place it holds in the hearts of so 

 many people in all classes and in all climes. It is the universal 

 flower and its appeal in that direction is only indicative of its 

 merits. 



ROSES FOR OUTDOOR PLANTING 



CULTURAL NOTES. 



The cultivation of roses is as follows: 



The Soil — The soil which best suits the Rose is a deep, unctuous 

 loam, with free drainage, as Roses do not thrive where there is 

 stagnant moisture- If these conditions are not to be had naturally, 

 they must, as far as possible, be provided. In the first place, if 

 drainage is bad, tne soil must be thrown out to a depth of 18 

 inches, and if it is not convenient to use tiles, about 5 or 6 inches 

 of broken bricks or other rough material should be thrown in the 

 bottom, and a layer of turf laid on top, grassy side down. On 

 the top of the surf should be placed a layer of well-decayed farm- . 

 yard manure, then a light layer of soil, and another layer of ma- 

 nure, on top of which should be placed the remainder of tne soil, 

 to waich, if light and sandy, should be added a liberal supply of 

 well-cbopped-up turf, raising the whole of the bed to a height 

 of about 12 inches above the original level of the soil. In case 

 of heavy land, a layer of lime rubble should be added, as this will 

 help to sweeten the soil. 



Planting — Should be deferred until the soil is in proper condi- 

 tion to receive the plants, as it is a great mistake to plant in wet 

 soil. Teas and Hybrid Teas should be planted about 18 inches 

 apart and the Hybrid Perpetuals 2 feet apart, keeping all manure 

 away from direct contact with the roots when planting. Firm the 

 soil well around tne plants and give a thorough watering. 



Pruning — All the short, prematurely ripened wood and all 



small shoots should be cut clean away, leaving just the strongest 

 shoots, from 4 to 6 inches long. Pruning should be done immedi- 

 ately after the plants are set out, if it has not been previously done. 

 This close pruning does not apply to the Hardy Climbers or 

 Ramblers; these should be shortened back if they have grown be- 

 yond their allotted space and thin out the very small shoots. 



Protection — Before the ground freezes solid the soil should be 

 pulled up around the base of tne plants, 7 or 8 inches, and the 

 surface of the bed afterward well covered with dried leaves or 

 cornstalks. When so protected, even the most tender varieties of 

 Hybrid Tea Roses are entirely hardy as far north as Winnipeg. 



This condensed list is the cream of the varieties suitable for 

 American culture today, especially Columbia, which has asserted 

 itself as being the very finest outdoor pink Rose so far produced. 



To dig and delve in nice clean dirt 



Can do a mortal little hurt. 



To live 'mongst lush and growing things 



Is like to give the spirit wings. 



Who works 'mongst roses soon will find 



Their fragrance budding in his mind. 



And minds that sprout with roses free — 



Well, that's the sort of mind for me I 



