2 
PARK AND CEMETERY. 
VALUE OF ROSE CULTURE IN PUBLIC PARKS 
Roses are planted in most parks, but 
they are not always used to their best 
advantage. They are planted in con- 
nection with shrubbery plantations, 
oftener in beds or patches by them- 
selves, and at times in flower gardens 
mixed with bedding plants. For the 
latter method I could never form a lik- 
ing, for I feel that the rose here is mis- 
placed and from a culture point of view 
I know it is unhappy. 
It is not necessary here to sing the 
praise of the flower that has from time 
immemorial been accorded the name 
“Queen of Flowers.’’ I believe we all 
agree that the rose will always stand in 
the front rank as a most useful queen- 
ly. thankfully blooming and easily cul- 
tivated plant for the decoration of pub- 
lic and home grounds. Flowever, al- 
though the rose is a general favorite, 
its full value as a home decorative 
plant is not yet fully realized and un- 
derstood by the public in general; and 
in order to instruct and inform the pub- 
lic of those qualifications and call their 
attention to the possible results of up- 
to-date rose culture, I advocate the in- 
troduction of rose gardens in public 
parks. 
KEY TO ROSE NAMES. 
By Theodore Wirth, Superin- 
tendent of Parks, Minneapolis 
“He who would have beautiful 
roses in his garden must have 
beautiful roses in his heart. He 
must love them well and always. 
He must have not only the glow- 
ing admiration, the enthusiasm and 
the passion, but the tenderness, the 
thoughtfulness, the reverence, the 
watchfulness of love.” 
Reynolds Hole. 
RUSTIC SHELTER IN ROSE G-A-RDEN. 
Elizabeth Park, Hartford, Conn. 
Such a garden has been established 
at Elizabeth Park, Hartford, Conn., in 
the fall of 1903, because the public 
showed a remarkable interest in and a 
very gratifying appreciation of a small- 
er but very successful display of per- 
fect, well-grown plants, maintained and. 
enlarged from time to time during the 
previous five years. 
The pleasure this garden affords to 
numberless thousands from near and 
far is well illustrated by the crowds 
which every year visit there, and the 
nurserymen in that locality testify that 
the demand for roses has increased 500 
per cent and that the orders received 
show a knowledge as to good and de- 
sirable varieties, in which previously 
the customers were very lacking. 
The proper location of a rose garden 
is an important factor. The rose wants 
plenty of sun and air, but is sensitive 
to strong winds. A nearly level space, 
with a southeast or southwest expos- 
ure, affording sunlight from morning 
till evening, protected by tree belts 
far enough away to cast no shadows 
on the garden, but near enough to ef- 
fectually check the prevailing winds, 
is the ideal location for a rose garden. 
The soil conditions are of course of 
prime importance. The rose is a heavy 
feeder and requires also a good amount 
of moisture. Almost any rich soil is 
good for roses, but what they like best 
is a retentive turfy loam on a fairly 
porous subsoil. Where the subsoil con- 
sists of clay or hard-pan, a regular tile 
drainage system is essential to com- 
plete success. The drains must not 
be less than 4 ft. below the surface 
and from 30 to 40 ft. apart, according 
to character of soil. A too porous sub- 
soil would call for a good layer of clay 
soil at the bottom of each bed. 
Being a firm believer in the correct- 
ness of the saying, “What is worth 
ONE OF THE ROSE LABELS. 
