The Ha nsen Bush C herry 
This is the result of over 40 years of selection of the Sandcherry, ( Prunus 
Besseyi ), a favorite fruit of the Indians in western South Dakota. Vile are now well 
along on the second million seedlings. In the present plantation of 35 acres in 
the state orchard at Watertown, Dr. Hansen found in 1938 a lot of large choice seed¬ 
lings, including some of a new, attractive red color and raimy with good, golden 
yellov; fruit. The quality of the fruit improves each plant generation, and the size 
of the pit decreases. This seed vdll produce the fourteenth generation. In the 
later selections, the size of the pit has been decreased greatly, the size of the 
fruit increased, and the quality improved. A.11 of them make a sauce of good quality. 
In the 1957 list, nine of these Hansen Bush cherries were named and distributed. 
Descriptions of these may be found in S. D. Bulletin 509. Price: one year seed¬ 
lings of the latest selections, 3 for $1.00. 
A Note on Selection 
For rapid progress it is necessary to select from immense numbers. In a seed- 
farm in Europe, Dr. Hansen sav; eighty acres of China Asters in full bloom; every 
single plant was carefully examined and those not up to the standard were destroyed. 
At rare intervals stakes w'ere set around an individual plant. This was something 
entirely new, to be saved separately for fui'ther development. 
This immense number made him determine not to experiment with Asters because 
that field was so thoroughly occupied, but to use the principle of large numbers 
in working with Soutn Dakota Stindcherries and other native fruits. At least 100,000 
of each plant generation is his plan and hope. 
Progress With Hardy Roses 
The State Rose Carden is located at Sioux Falls. There and at Brookings some 
20 acres are devoted to originating roses that will be hardy without winter protect¬ 
ion, also, to originating hardy thornless rose stocks. The Rose Annual of the 
American Rose Society with several thousand members in America and many foreign 
lands, published the fact that South Dakota is the first state in the union to have 
a State Rose Garden. 
The progress in Hardy Roses at this station was recognized June 29, 1956, at 
the annual meeting of the American Rose Society at Des Moines, lovra, in awarding 
First Prize to N. E. Hansen for 41 new seedlings. The leading rose in this collect¬ 
ion has been named Lillian Gibson. 
Much hybridized rose seed was harvested from the breeding experiments in 1958. 
The i^ose-breeding experiments are carried on with a Federa.1 appropriation; the land 
is furnished by the state. The nurserymen of America with 15 million roses to bud 
annually would like hardy smooth-v/ooded stocks. To originate such stocks is also a 
part of the work. 
Four new roses were offered in the 1958 list for the first time. These were 
budded last fall to be ready for distribution the fall of 1959. 
100^^ Thornless Roses 
In clearing twenty acres of rose seedlings in 1952 in the State Rose Garden at 
Sioux Falls and at State College, a few 100 per cent thornless rose plants were 
selected for further v^^ork. Both leaves and wood are smooth. These were intorduced 
in 195G. The flov;ers are single, pink, fragrant. The abundant red rose-hips in 
autum and winter are noteworthy. These plants are of sturdy upright habit and are 
now being crossed with many large double-flowered varieties in other colors. In 
their present condition they are pleasing ornamental shrubs that will endure 50 below 
zero Fahrenheit v;ithout protection, and which may be found useful by the rose- 
breeders in eliminating thorns. 
It is a pleasure to report further progress with the 100^ Thornless Roses noted 
in S. D. Bulletin No. 509. The flowers are single and pink. In 1957 out of 11,055 
seedlings of these 100% thornless roses, 615 seedlings or about 5^%, were entirely 
smooth even the first year from seed. The hope is to make this character come true 
to seed and that it will be a dominant homozygote in hybridization with standard 
double roses. 
Strong plants of the 100% thornless roses noted in S. D. Bulletin 509, each 
$ 1 . 00 . 
-4- 
