The Garden Magazine, April, 1920 
97 
I N THE Tea and Hybrid-tea classes, particularly for the im- 
portant use of all-year-round growing for cut-flowers, Amer- 
ican hybridizers have, I believe, surpassed the European workers. 
With John Cook’s first American Hybrid-tea Rose, Souvenir of 
Wootton, produced in 1888, there began an increasing procession 
of Roses on the way to the wonderful productions of the present. 
Cornelia Cook was a valuable “forcing” Rose, and Mr. Cook’s 
other hybrids have proved very much worth while, several of 
them becoming great garden varieties. Radiance, which took a 
Silver Medal in 1914, has pervaded the gardens of the East, to 
their great advantage. To see five-foot bushes of it, as well 
shaped as a Spirea, laden with the lovely flowers it produces 
continually in the climate of its nativity — the vicinity of Wash- 
ington and Baltimore — is to realize that it is a distinct asset to 
America. Following it came Panama, also taking a Silver 
Medal in 191 5, and in the same group are the standard varieties 
like Francis Scott Key and My Maryland. Mr. Cook’s “Glori- 
fied La France” was so named by reason of my burst of en- 
thusiasm when I saw it in its home. Mrs. John Cook, a very 
beautiful white Rose is just now being sent out by a noted 
introducer. For sixty years of steady endeavor has John Cook 
continued in his work, differing from that of many -foreign hy- 
bridizers in the significant restraint which has caused him to 
discard scores of seedlings which abroad would have been sent 
out. 
In 1914 the notable qualities of the red Rose Hadley won for 
its originator, Alexander W. Montgomery, Jr., the American 
Rose Society’s Gold Medal, and Hadley yet holds a very high 
place. Among the commercial men another Montgomery Rose, 
Mrs. Charles Russell, has a notable vogue, and is advantage- 
ously grown by the hundred thousand. It is interesting to read 
of its intricate parentage: “Mad. Abel Chatenay, Marquise 
Litta de Breteuil, Caroline Testout, Mrs. W. J. Grant, General 
THE AMERICAN PILLAR ROSE 
A blend of the East and West, this is one of the finest 
Climbers and shows wonderful delicacy as well as boldness 
MacArthur and 
three seedlings re- 
sulting from these 
crosses, are all 
combined to pro- 
duce Mrs. Charles 
Russell,” writes 
Mr. Montgomery. 
Just now coming 
through the quan- 
tity production 
stage for plants 
are two new origi- 
nations of this 
grower — Pilgrim 
and Crusader — in 
which he has ob- 
viously yielded to 
the demand for 
heavier Roses, 
those with more 
petals, more “ sub- 
stance” than the 
heretofore popular Ophelia type. Crusader, an opulent, full, 
red Rose, is illustrated in the 1920 American Rose Annual. 
It is interesting to note the trend toward Roses of more sub- 
stance. For awhile the informal beauty of the Roses with 20 to 
30 petals appealed to those who bought them, and particularly 
pleased the florists, who found them to open more quickly and 
sometimes to produce more abundantly. Gradually, however, 
the taste is veering toward the more solid and substantial Rose 
with from 30 to 80 petals. It opens more slowly, to be sure, but 
there is more of it when it does open, and the open flower itself 
is, as in the case of Crusader, a glorious thing. 
Milady is a preferred Rose by many cut-flower growers, and is 
the production of Edward Towill, who has other good Roses to 
his credit, as well as the idea of keeping on with hybridization. 
Mrs. Henry Winnett is a red Rose of merit, coming from John 
H. Dunlop, a Canadian grower. Hoosier Beauty, a standard 
red Hybrid-tea, comes from the state of poets and novelists as 
the work of Mr. Dorner. There are other incidental productions 
and many “sports” which show discrimination in selection, to 
the credit of American rose-growers. I have tried to touch the 
high spots only! 
A PARAGRAPH is due to the Rose which came out of the 
West, captured the admiration of the garden makers of 
the American East, and, crossing the Atlantic, took the highest 
French honor in 1918, in the shape of the Gold Medal awarded 
for the best Rose growing outdoors in the famous Bagatelle 
gardens, near Paris. Los Angeles is the name, and Los Angeles 
the home point, of this notable Rose, the production of Fred 
H. Howard, a far-seeing and energetic hybridizer. The rich 
salmon-orange tints of the Pernetiana type are combined with 
softer hues, and with a delightful result in Los Angeles. Mr. 
Howard has other good Roses in commerce and coming, and 
it is well to keep an eye on the southern part of California, not 
only for new varieties but for the vast quantities of Rose plants 
which we may expect to be there produced. 
The shut-off by Quarantine No. 37 has caused the Rose growers 
in the vinicity of San Jose to bestir themselves, and millions of 
cuttings and other millions of rooted plants are now in the 
ground in this favorable location. The whole of the Pacific 
Coast deals kindly with the Rose, from the obviously favorable 
conditions in the south of California to the inexplicably favor- 
able conditions of Oregon. It is not yet certain that California 
can successfully provide varieties or plants particularly adapted 
to eastern United States. The climate along the western Pacific 
slope is far more nearly akin to that of the south of Europe than 
to that of the east of America. This is mentioned in reasonable 
caution, but in no sense in derogation of the vigorous American- 
© Ernest Crandall 
DR. WALTER VAN FLEET 
The Rose wizard of the western world 
