I 



VOL.'LV.— No. 3,060. 



SATURDAY, JUNE 22, 1912. 



THE 



GARDENERS 



NOTE OF THE WEEK 



Trials of Roses. 



Encouraged by the liigh degree of popu- 

 larity which roses of all classes now enjoy, 

 raisers both at home and aibroad have re- 



make their purchases before much informa- 

 tion relating to them can be obtained, and 

 when any considerable proportion fail to 

 realise expectations, there is necessarily 

 much disappointment. This failure may be 

 due, in the case of both home and foreign- 

 raised roses, to the varieties not maintain- 

 ing their initial vigour, or in the case of the 



is no objection by the raisers of this, or any 

 other country, to sending their novelties to 

 the Bagatelle trials, as evidenced by the 

 fact that last autumn eighty-five varieties 

 were contributed. It is evident also tliat 

 raisers resident in this and other countries 

 are eqiially ready to contribute freely of 

 their novelties, for the varieties mentioned 



doubled their efiForts to provide new and latter to the great difference in the climatic by Mr. Arthur W. Paul in his interesting 

 improved varieties, and of late years the conditions of the place of origin and this notes on the new roses at Bagatelle, which 

 introduction of novelties has heen on so 

 large a scale as to render it extremely dif- 

 ficult for either the amateur or 



the professional rosarian to 

 keep pace with them. Were 

 it not necessary to do more 

 than take into consideration 

 the roses raised in the United 

 Kingdom, there would be no 

 difficulty in deciding which of 

 those annuallv introduced 



annually 

 ►e added 



The 



pants of the rose garden, 

 number is comparatively small, 

 the varieties represent careful 

 selection from large numbers 

 of seedlings, and with hut 

 few exceptions, they are pre- 

 sented to public notice at least 

 once at the leading exhibitions 

 and meetings, and rosarians 



country. In view of the large annual out- appear in this issue, include novelties of 

 put of new roses and the desirability of both British and foreign origin. Much time 



and consideration would have 

 to be devoted to the prepara- 

 tion of a scheme for conducting 

 such trials before practical 

 effect could be given to tlie sug- 

 gestion here made. But it is 

 quite obvious that the proper 

 body for taking the project in 

 hand is the National Rose 

 Society, which has already 

 done such an immense amount 

 of useful work for the advance- 



hav 



e 



meetings, 

 therefore 



ment of rose culture. 



Its 



opportunixies 



for seeing some, if not all of 



are placed in 

 s is an im- 



Th 



commerce, 

 niense advantage to the general 

 body of cultivators, for if all 

 do not fulfil their promise — 

 and it would be unreasonable 

 to expect them to do so — 

 rosarians are able to see them, 

 and formulate an opinion on 

 their merits before making pur- 

 chases. Not all the home- 

 raised roses will succeed equally 

 well in 



United 

 differ 

 th a n 



have their 

 quently this 



every part 

 Kingdom, but 

 lesvS in this ] 



of the 



they 



PETTS 



do the 



respect 

 varieties that 



origin 

 point 



abroad, and conse- 



is 



a 



quite 



nunor 



one as regards varieties that have origi- 

 nated within our own borders. In the case 

 of foreign roses the number annually dis- 



bringing varieties of a high order of merit tablishing 

 into prominence within a short time of i lu ir 

 introduction, it appears to us that we 

 might in this country follow the example 

 of the Frem-h rosarians, and make arrange- 



^ 



enormous increase in member- 

 ship within recent years is a 

 proof that it enjoys to the full 

 the confidence of all who are 

 interested in roses, and its an- 

 nual income would be sufficient 

 to enable it to engage in such 

 work under conditions that 

 would ensure a full measure of 

 success. It would probably bo 

 necessary to make a slight re- 

 duction in the number of ex- 

 hibitions, as compared with the 

 current year, and possibly to 

 make some modification in the 

 amount expended on publica- 

 tions, but, unless we are much 

 mistaken, the roarningement 

 necessary would not be great, 

 and it would have ample com- 

 pensation in a material increi 

 in the usefulne:ss of the work 

 in which the 

 actively engaged, 

 of a trial 



SO<MCl V 



Th( 



1> 



so 



necessitate 

 method of 



a 

 onie 



making 



grouml 

 modification 



in 



es- 

 would 

 the 



awards to novel- 



that 



ties, and it will be readily seen 

 the value of a gold medial award to a new 



would be t-ieatlv inc reased by beint^ 



tributecl through the usu^l channels of ments for subjecting such of the new van.- "'^ "^^^'^^r ^' "T h^^rheen 

 trade is la, ge, they are selected as the ro- ties as are availaWe for the purpose to a made after the variety had heen .ubje<tcd 



suit of opinions based on plants that art 

 developed under conditions that widely 

 differ from those which obtain in this coun- 



try. 



and 



in 



very few instances are there 

 opportunities for seeing plants and blooms 

 until they have passed through the hands of 

 trade growers and been generally distri- 

 buted. Consequently those who desire to 

 have the new^ roses of foreign growth within 

 a short time of their introduction must 



comparative test before or after their in- 

 troduction, tlie time of the trial depend- 

 ing, as a matter of course, upon tlu^ 

 assistance rendered by the raisers. It might 

 be thought by some that the laisers would 

 have an objection to their roses being in- 

 cluded in trials: but we have no fear that 

 this would be the case, provi<led they are 

 conducted on proper lines and under the 

 direction of a responsible authority. There 



to a comparative test than under the pre- 

 sent methcKl of procedure. Failing a trial 

 on the lines of the Bagatelle trials, it is 

 difficult to see how the present jneth(Kl of 

 making awards could lie atly improved 

 upon, for both phir.iN and bl<H)ms have to be^ 

 submitted, and the awards are made by a 

 committtM^ <-einprising botli amateurs and 

 professional rosarians of the hi-hest emi- 

 nence. This year the society has provided 



