238 



HOME AND FLOWEBS 



EOSES IX CALIFOEXIA 

 By M, T). Mansfield. 



THERE is no place in the world where 

 roses grow more heaurifullY and in 

 such profusion as in California. 

 In the prett}' little to^vns surrounding 

 San Francisco Bay and in Southern Cali- 

 fornia they hlooni tlie whole vear round. 

 I don't mean to say that the h-lnssoms are 

 as numerous during the winter months as 

 they are in the spring and summer, but 

 they bloom, and any amateur gardener, 

 with an ordinary-sized garden, can have 

 flowers, es])ecially roses, to fill her vases, 

 and, better still, have enough to send to a 

 sick friend. 



In the middle of December of last year 

 one of the leading women's clubs of Oak- 

 land gave an anniversary luncheon. One 

 of the charter memliers now residing in 

 Pasadena Avas unaljle to attend and sent 

 as a su Institute an immense box of La 

 France roses. There were hundreds of 

 them, all raised out-of-doors in her south- 

 ern home and by herself. The beautiful 

 blossoms were large and perfectly formed 

 and were decidedly more fragrant than 

 those that bloom during the summer 

 months when the La France roses bloom 

 more freely. 



Long hedges of roses are not uncom- 

 mon. The Agrippina is usually preferred, 

 as the foliage becomes much denser after 

 being closely trimmed, than that of most 

 other roses, making a thick wall of leaves 

 ' and roses that a bird could scarcely pass 

 through. 



This reminds me of a line fence I re- 

 cently saw in Berkeley. It was a rough 

 board fence six feet in height and some 

 two hundred and fifty feet in length. The 

 ugliness of the unpainted boards was en- 

 tirely hidden on one side by alternating 

 red and white roscj;?, the beautiful Gloire 

 de Margottin and the G-loire de Lyonaise, 

 roses of almost the same growth, both 

 bloomJng freely during the summer and 

 having quite a few blossoms during the 

 winter. The other side of the fence was 



completely covered with pink ivv-leaved 

 geranium. It was so much prettier and 

 very much less trouble than the glaring 

 whitCAvashed fences so common in most 

 suburban towns. 



A two-story cottage, also in Berkeley, 

 which i- very much admired, especially by 

 our eastern visitors, is entirely covered 

 from foundation to roof with the pink ivy- 

 leaved geranium and La Marque roses. 

 During the season when both are in bloom 

 it is a sight worth traveling miles to see^ 

 this house of pink and white blossoms 

 with the bright green background. 



During the last few years the Crimson 

 Rambler has become a great favorite for 

 covering fences, barns, outhouses, etc.. on 

 account of its being such a rapid grower 

 and for its immense clusters of crimson 

 blossoms. This rose does remarkably well 

 throughout the southern part of the state 

 and in tlie interior ; but does not thrive so 

 well Avliere the heavy fogs are frequent. 

 The dampness causes it to be affected with 

 mildew which greatly retards growth^ 

 even though the mildew preventives and 

 remedies are applied most rigorously. 



The "Beauty of Glazenwood'' is a prime 

 favorite in and about San Eafael, where it 

 is better known as the "San Eafael rose." 

 In no other part of the state does it make 

 such wonderful growth, or bloom in such 

 profusion. In the early summer, cot- 

 tages, porches, fences, summer houses^ 

 etc.. are covered with roses of those beau- 

 tiful indescribaljle shadings of yellow and 

 pink, which must be seen to be fully 

 appreciated. 



The "Caroline Testouf' is another fa- 

 vorite with both professional and amateur 

 rosarians. They make a splendid growth, 

 strong and straight, doing much better as 

 tree roses than in bushes, and doing es- 

 pecially well when budded on strong stock. 

 It is a most satisfactory rose, free from 

 diseases and very beautiful in the half- 

 blo^m and fulI-bloAvn state. 



