Finding “Star Roses” in Europe 
DEAR FRIENDS OF STAR ROsEs: London, July 4, 1930 
When I left New York on Decoration Day, scarlet poppies were gleaming im every 
buttonhole. A few days later the great S. S. Europa landed me in France, and from the 
train window I saw poppies ablaze everywhere, even in Spain where I went first to visit 
Sefior Pedro Dot. I took with me the Gold Medal which the American Rose Society had 
awarded that able hybridizer for originating the climbing Rose, Mme. Gregoire Staechelin, 
which we introduced in America, Spring, 1928, At a great public demonstration, the Mayor of 
Barcelona presented the medal to Sefior Dot on behalf of the American lovers of the Rose. 
After showing me the new varieties in his own garden, Sefior Dot took me to see the Roses 
growing in the gardens of the King of Spain at Pedralbes. Thus began my first month 
among the Rose-gardens and Rose-growers across the Atlantic. . | 
The full picture of the Star Rose business is a far-flung panorama. New Roses are constantly coming on 
the scene. It is important that the best of them should come ta America as Star Roses. It is not enough 
that The Conard-Pyle Company has twice doubled its capital stock, that it has more than doubled its area 
of good land for growing Roses, and that it has increased its staff and facilities for personal supervision, to 
the end that Star Roses will be even better. That is only part of the story. 
My 1930 visits here are not yet half completed. There are new Roses everywhere in Europe. Hence, I 
am spending the summer visiting the Rose-growers and the gardens of seven nations, attending the Rose 
shows, noting the qualities of the prize-winners, and meeting, at home and in a business way, the men who 
originate new varieties, whose judgment is worthy of emulation, and whose friendship is to be treasured. 
I am meeting in many cases, the sons of the men whom [| knew in 1906 when I made my first trip abroad, 
for many of the famous growers of another day are no more, although their spirit lives in their descendants, 
and advancing time still brings forth new and lovelier Roses. 
The hand of time moves on in another sense. In Spain, France, England, and Germany have been planted 
International Rose-Gardens where all originators may send their Roses to be studied and compared. Today, 
after seeing the great Summer Show in London, I went to the Rose Trial-Garden of the National Rose 
Society of England at Hayward’s Heath. There were Roses from all points of the compass and from almost 
all Rose-loving lands in the world, many of which will not appear in commerce until two years from now. 
I had the same opportunity in Paris, where I represented the American Rose Society on the International 
Jury in the famous Rose-trials at the Bagatelle Garden in the Bois de Bologne. A week from today I am 
going to the annual meeting of the German National Rose Society and to visit their garden at Sangerhausen, 
and I| have also accepted an invitation to serve on the Jury at the Netherlands Rose Show at The Hague 
a week later, an event much like that I attended at Ghent, in Belgium, just a week ago. 
There is an astonishing number of new Roses in every country. From them we must select with the 
greatest care those best suited to the climate and the needs of America. Fortunately, we shall have the oppor- 
tunity, as heretofore, of observing them in our own Test-Gardens at West Grove, where the new Star Roses are 
carefully winnowed from the vast numbers of ‘“‘not-quite-as-good”’ varieties which are introduced every year. 
Come to see these new Roses at West Grove, or if you cannot, remember our 
Guarantee which is your assurance that when you order Star Roses you receive the 
best Roses for America. Yours very truly, 
Leis 
PRESIDENT 
We guarantee Star Roses to bloom the first natural blooming period 
Our * Guarantee. after planting, or you may have them replaced or your money back. 
(Everblooming and Polyantha Roses are guaranteed to bloom the first season after planting. 
Hardy Climbing Roses, Hybrid Perpetuals, and some Roses in other classes cannot be expected to 
bloom until the second year after planting.) We trust our patrons to do their part right. : 
Plant Star Roses This Fall 
The best time to plant Roses has been a debat- 
able question for years. We have done a great deal 
of research work, made many experiments, and 
after much study of results have concluded that the 
safest way is to follow Nature’s teaching. 
Nature prepares a plant for the following sum- 
mer’s growth by buildmg its root system In autumn 
and long after winter has begun while the consuming 
portion of the plant—the top—is resting. 
We firmly believe, therefore, in fall planting be- 
cause during winter the roots have ample time to 
become established to support a normal growth of 
foliage and an abundance of blooms the following 
season. 
To be successful, fall planting must be done as 
late as possible, after the plants have thoroughly 
matured and the wood has been hardened by several 
good frosts. The air should be cool enough to pre- 
vent the tops from starting into growth. 
In our latitude (Philadelphia) we recommend 
planting in late November or in December. Accu- 
rately speaking, “winter planting’? would be a more 
proper term than “‘fall planting.”’ If there is danger 
of hard freezing before the plants are received, it Is 
advisable to cover the ground with a mulch of straw 
or litter until the plants arrive. ; 
Prepare the ground as early in fall as practicable, 
bearing in mind that Roses must have a large pro-. 
portion of bumus (thoroughly rotted manure, or 
vegetable matter, the older the better), well mixed 
with ordinary garden soil. 
We urge close planting. A Rose-bed should be a 
display of Roses en masse, not a display of soil. 
Hybrid Teas should be 15 inches apart, except a few 
of the strongest-growing sorts like Radiance. Roses 
planted close together will grow longer stems, better 
and healthier foliage, and protect each other against 
drying winds. 
