I have a friend who is a producer of cannas. For many years he 
has lovingly bred toward certain ideals, and he has utterly and alto- 
gether changed the place and quality of the canna in its garden rela- 
tions. He does this with facility and with speed, because he can man- 
age two generations in one year. No such speed is possible in rose 
hybridization. It is a slow, painstaking, sometimes disappointing, 
and therefore thoroughly "sporty" pursuit. Dr. Van Fleet, the able 
hybridizer who works for the Department of Agriculture, told me not 
many weeks ago that it was not certain that all possible seeds had ger- 
minated in the seed pans which had received his precious crosses for 
three years in some cases. Yet in the course of a half of a lifetime de- 
Voted to rose-growing, this one man has added varieties of vast value 
to the American list, and has bred intelligently and definitely for har- 
diness, vigor and the power to withstand our climatic conditions. 
Those who enjoy Silver Moon, American Pillar, Dr. Van Fleet, Mary 
Lovett, and similar modern climbers, will pay tribute to the genius 
of this patient, painstaking man. 
Any garden woman who really loves roses and is willing to fuss 
"with seedhngs, to observe differences, to hybridize with care, to wait 
with patience, can undertake this work. Details concerning it are 
found in some of the publications of the American Rose Society, and 
it is not improbable that in the forthcoming months interesting prizes 
will be offered by that Society, open to all growers in the land, for new 
and meritorious American-bred roses suited to American conditions. 
This whole situation is made more acute by the exclusion of all 
rose plants, save those required for propagating purposes, since June 
I, 1 9 19, at which time the Federal Horticultural Board applied a 
plant quarantine to that effect, in order to protect the land against 
injurious insects and diseases. Not only do we need, therefore, new 
varieties of roses, but more places and more methods for the increase 
of good varieties of roses. I estimate that in 1920 there will be a rose 
shortage of not less than three million plants which would otherwise 
be sold to the advantage of everyone in the land. 
If the Editor of the Bulletin desires, it may be that later certain 
suggestions as to parentage and the like can be presented. Mean- 
while those who have in mind to be interested in new roses and to 
start to create the basis of a lottery in which it is impossible to draw 
all blanks, can properly and profitably acquaint themselves with rose 
varieties which do best in their own particular climatic regions, so as 
to work from a standpoint of knowledge personally and definitely 
obtained. 
If a score of American women should begin to grow roses with the 
love and devotion which have made every effort to do anything by 
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