108 
Climbing Noisette Hybrids 12 
Climbing Multifloras 36 
Climbing Setigeras 5 
Climbing Miscellaneous 8 
403 
From the Garden the party was taken 
through the Arlington Cemetery, stopping at 
the new Memorial Stadium and at Lee’s 
Mansion. They then went to Mrs. Bell’s 
beautiful home at Twin Oaks where an hour 
was spent in the garden and in enjoying the 
hospitality of Mrs. Bell. Refreshments were 
served on the broad verandas at Twin Oaks 
after which Mrs. Bell showed the visitors 
through the garden. Returning to the house 
Mr. Gude addressed Mrs. Bell stating that 
the American Rose Society through its Pres- 
ident, Mr. Pyle, wished to express its appre- 
ciation of her hospitality. President Pyle 
then stated that because of Mrs. Bell’s re- 
peated hospitality and especially because of 
her interest in Rose progress as manifested 
by her gift of the Hubbard Memorial Gold 
Medal, the Executive Committee had unani- 
mously voted to confer on her an honorary 
membership. He asked Mrs. Bell to accept 
this membership as a slight token of the ap- 
preciation of the American Rose Society. 
Mrs. Bell graciously accepted and thanked 
President Pyle for the honor conferred upon 
her. 
The party then returned to the Ebbitt 
House where luncheon was served. The 
tables were beautifully decorated with Red 
Radiance. In the somewhat formal after- 
dinner speaking W. F. Gude presided, and 
first introduced Professor Corbett, asking him 
to speak on the development of the Rose 
Test Garden. Because of trouble with his 
voice Professor Corbett asked to be excused. 
J. Horace McFarland was then introduced 
and spoke on “Hugonis and Its Hybrids.” 
After discussing the beauty and hardiness of 
the typical Hugonis Mr. McFarland spoke of 
the wonderful work Dr. Van Fleet has done 
in producing hybrids of this species ; he also 
expressed the appreciation of the American 
Rose Society for the splendid work the 
Department of Agriculture is doing in devel- 
oping a type of door-yard roses which will 
beautify thousands of homes in the rural dis- 
tricts, and types also suited to roadside plant- 
ing. 
President Pyle then spoke of the pleasure 
it gave the American Rose Society to visit 
the National Rose Test Garden, and he em- 
phasized the unique character of this Garden 
in comparison to other Test Gardens. He 
said : “We in America are just pioneers in 
Rose production. We need more of the love 
of the beautiful in our hearts which will 
make life more a joy of living.” He sug- 
gested that names should be carefully se- 
lected for the new varieties which should 
stand as monuments for the Rose workers 
and Rose lovers of America. President Pyle 
was followed by Peter Bissett of the United 
States Department of Agriculture who spoke 
of the introduction of some of the newer 
species of Roses and their adaptation for 
American conditions. “The conditions in 
America are so varied that we need a wide 
range of species and varieties from many 
sections of the world to meet the needs of 
all American localities.” 
Mr. S. S. Pennock of Philadelphia spoke of 
the rapid growth of the Society since he was 
president in 1916. There were then 309 
members, while the Secretary reported June 
1st, 1920, 2202. He expressed his regret 
that more of the commercial men were not 
present at this meeting for he felt sure that 
the interest in outdoor Rose growing by the 
amateur will be a big financial aid to the 
commercial men. 
Dr. Galloway then gave the report of the 
Rose Test Garden as previously outlined. 
Dr. Beal, of Cornell University, was the last 
speaker of the afternoon. He said, “We need 
Slower (Brower 
to distinguish two types of gardens, the test 
garden, and the Rose display garden. The 
American Rose Society probably has now 
enough test gardens to demonstrate what the 
varieties of Roses will do in each section of 
the country. We need most at the present 
time Rose demonstration gardens where the 
standard varieties will be grown, and those 
which are known to be hardy. Each city and 
town should be encouraged to establish a Rose 
Show Garden.” 
At the close of the luncheon the party was 
taken to the site of the proposed Washington 
Rose Show Garden. At a meeting of the 
Executive Committee last fall J. Horace 
McFarland, Frederick Law Olmstead, Rep- 
resentative James R. Mann and S. S. 
Pennock were appointed on a committee 
to develop a project for such a Garden. 
The committee had decided on a site on 
the banks of the Potomac near the Arling- 
ton bridge, and Frederick Law Olmstead had 
promised to produce a plan for the develop- 
ment of the Garden. Colonel Ridley, Super- 
intendent of Public Grounds and Buildings, 
met the party on the proposed site and out- 
lined briefly the proposed plan. He stated 
that the War Department was glad to do all 
it could to forward the project. The area has 
been used as a propagation garden for Ever- 
greens, and it would be necessary to retain 
a portion of it for that purpose for the pres- 
ent. There are now available one and one- 
half acres out of a total of six acres. He 
stated that the Garden could not be realized 
in a moment, but the War Department was 
glad to make a start. 
On the day previous to the Washington 
meeting, the Executive Committee met Dr. 
Van Fleet in the Test Garden of the U. S. 
Department of Agriculture at Bell, where Dr. 
Van Fleet is working to produce American 
types of Roses. The afternoon was indeed 
most interesting, for Dr. Van Fleet was very 
willing to show the committee his numerous 
hybrids for he knew that they had a keen in- 
terest in all that he is doing. There were many 
Rugosa hybrids, one of which Rosa rugosa x 
Triomphe Orleanais was especially good. A 
variety of forms of prostrate rugosas were 
wonderfully interesting. There were also 
crosses of rugosa with Hugonis, and with va- 
rieties of Hybrid Teas. Moysii Hybrids were 
numerous, one of which, Moysii x Red-Letter- 
Day was particularly good. Dr. Van Fleet is 
working to secure a white-flowered variety of 
rubifolia, and several specimens were in 
bloom. 
The American Rose Society feels deeply in- 
debted to the officials of the U. S. Depart- 
ment of Agriculture, to the Washington 
Florists, and to the prominent rosarians of 
the District, for the cordial hospitality ex- 
tended the Society. Mr. Wm. F. Gude was 
especially generous in giving his personal 
attention to every detail of transportation so 
that the comfort of each visitor was assured. 
Mr. C. E. F. Gersdorff, chairman of the Wash- 
ington Rose Test Garden Committee, also 
made most painstaking plans for the enter- 
tainment of the members of the Society. 
E. A. WHITE, Secy. 
How to Secure a Rich Soil 
for Flower Growing. 
[ (V ritten expressly for The Flower Grower. ] 
A tract or plot of ground should be 
selected two years in advance of its be- 
ing required for flowers. Manure 
heavily in the fall of the year, from 20 
to 50 loads per acre, according to the 
manure, previous condition and purpose 
for which ground is to be used. Plow 
under just before freezing weather 
comes. In the spring sow rye and vetch 
thickly, broadcast or drilled, three to 
four bushels per acre. This need not 
July, 1920 
be the winter vetch. Spring vetch will 
answer, about one pound of vetch to 
three pounds of rye. When this growth 
attains a height of eighteen inches to 
two feet it should be plowed under. 
Plow a little deeper than you did in 
plowing under the manure the fall be- 
fore. This will bring the manure and 
a thin layer of sub-soil to the top of the 
ground. Keep this harrowed until late 
fall to kill any weed seeds which sprout. 
Then apply well rotted manure at the 
rate of five to ten loads per acre, and 
the following spring this land will grow 
most anything. 
It is assumed that the land is in fair 
tilth to begin with and that it does not 
need liming, but it would be a good plan 
in applying the first coat of manure to 
use about fifty pounds to one hundred 
pounds of ground limestone to the load, 
scattered on the top of each load before 
being spread on the ground. 
When planting the crop the next 
spring it would be well to discharrow 
the ground rather deeply, four to six 
inches. Special fertilizers like bone 
meal or mixed commercial fertilizers 
could be applied to suit the crop to be 
grown. Small quantities only need be 
used. 
True, you lose one year’s use of the 
land, but the results are easily worth it. 
Madison Cooper. 
Effect of Light on Plants. 
The Bureau of Plant Industry, U. S. 
Dept, of Agriculture, has conducted 
some greenhouse experiments to deter- 
mine the effect of light on flowering 
and fruiting period of plants. It has 
been practically proven that any plant 
can be made to mature its seeds or fruit 
at any time during the year by reduc- 
ing the amount of light if a retarding 
effect is desired or by adding artificial 
light if a forcing effect is desired. 
It is asserted that spring flowers and 
that spring vegetation are early because 
the days at the season of their develop- 
ing have the proper number of hours of 
daylight, for their particular require- 
ments. By using dark chambers the 
experimenters have lengthened the life 
cycle of the plants or by increasing the 
amount of light have shortened the life 
cycle. Violets, for instance, have been 
made to bloom in summer. 
Temperature appears to exert little 
or no influence which is quite contrary 
to the accepted theory. The relative 
unimportance of temperature was dem- 
onstrated in the fact that plants kept 
in the dark for part of the day under- 
went in midsummer changes that in 
nature come in the fall of the year. 
The February, 1920, issue of The 
Flower Grower was in such great 
demand that our surplus is exhausted. 
Those having spare copies in good 
condition will convey a favor if they 
will return them to this office, and we 
will advance subscriptions, in exchange 
for same, two months for each copy 
of the February issue returned. The 
demand for bound volumes of The 
Modern Gladiolus Grower and The 
Flower Grower will doubtless con- 
tinue for many years. 
