The Originating of New Vafieties 
«^ of Flowers or Fruits 
Is handled nowadays in as careful and scientific a manner as the breeding of stock. It is do 
longer left entirely to chance, but to secure a new variety combining certain desired qualities, 
there are chosen, for the parent varieties, sorts which possess these qualities to the most 
marlied degree, the same as in the breeding of cattle. For example, one rose may be very 
fragrant but of poor form and of infrequent habit of blooming. Anotter may be of good 
shape and bloom frequently but be entirely lacking in fragrance. By crossing those tw o a 
new variety, combining all three qualities, may be secured— with patience. The crossing, or 
hybridizing, as it is also called, in effected by transferring the pollen (or male element) of one 
flower to the pistil (or female element) of the other, but the operation is fraught with so 
many uncertainties that complete success can be hoped for only once in many, many times. 
Parentage of the "Dorothy Perkins." This sort was originated from seed of the 
Japanese variety, ifosa Tl'ic/juraiflua, hybridized with pollen from that grand old rose, Mme. 
Gabriel Luizet. The seed parent was chosen for its hardiness and vigorous habit of growth, 
the pollen parent for its beautiful color and remarkable freedom of bloom. The qualities of 
both are combined to a remarkable degree in the hybrid, which was one of a lot of two 
hundred seedlings hybridized in the same manner. While many of the others were of great 
merit, the "Dorothy Perkins" was the best of them all. 
Hardiness. In this important point nothing more could be desired. Two unusually 
severe winters failed to injure the plants in the least, although during one of them the tem- 
perature went as low as 20° below zero and there was not the usual snowfall to protect them. 
The Flowers are of large size for this class of rose, usually about one and one-half inches 
across; are borne in clusters of from ten to thirty and often in racemes of sixty to seventy. 
They are very double ; the petals are very prettily rolled back and crinkled ; the buds are 
remarkable pretty, being pointed in shape and of just the right size for the button-hole. 
The Color is a most beautiful clear shell-pink and holds a long time without fading. 
Even when the flowers commence to fade the color is still pleasing, being then a lovely deep 
rose. 
In Vigor the "Dorothy Perkins" is a true descendant of ifosa Ificiuraiana, making in 
a single season strong, lusty shoots, often of ten to twelve feet in height. 
In Habit of Growth it is, unlike its seed parent, decidedly upright, having, as is 
stated below by Mr. Wm. Scott, Assistant Superintendent of Horticulture at the Tan-Ameri- 
can, exactly the habit of the now well-known Crimson Rambler. It is therefore especially 
adapted for planting as a companion rose to Crimson Rambler. 
Fragrance. The flowers are very sweetly scented, a characteristic not possessed by most 
other roses of this class. 
The Foliage is of a deep green, of thick leathery texture, and remains on the plant in 
perfect condition till well on into the winter, making it almost an evergreen variety. 
At the Pan-American Exposition there was abed of Dorothy Perkins roses which 
attracted an immense amount of attention, although the plants were young stock which had 
been propagated only some eighteen months before. Mr. Wm. Scott, Assistant Superintendent 
of Horticulture, expressed in the " Florists' Review," the following unsolicited opinion regard- 
ing the variety : 
" Messrs. sent ns last year some plants of their new Rambler Hose ' Dorothy 
Perkins.' This has exactly the habits of the well-known Crimson Rambler. They have flow- 
ered splendidly and have been very brilliant. This seems to me to be a great 
acquisition, and I believe it to be a good forcing rose. The individual flower is larger 
than the Crimson Rambler, with not such heavy trusses, but it is a beautiful shell-pink in 
color."' 
From the Florists' Exchange: 
"The flowers of the new hybrid Wichuraiana rose, 'Dorothy Perkins,' are very double 
and of a pleasing rose or Bridesmaid pink color. For size and color the variety is no doubt 
an improvement over existing kinds." 
From the American Florist (in an article describing our nurseries; : 
" A number of Wichuraiana seedlings will probably be distributed next year, one of tliein 
named Dorothy Perkins, a remarkably free bloomer with very double flowers of a soft, light 
pink shade, produced in large clusters and very fragrant and lasting." 
AWARDED A SILVER MEDAL AT THE PAN-AMERICAN EXPOSITION. 
