The American Garden 
^ ffionthly Journal of ^Practical gardening. 
= ' --- 1)K- K. M. MKXAMKR, Kdilor. 
Vol. VI. 
Old Series, Vol. XIIt. 
FEBRUARY, ’1885. 
No. 2. 
A BUNOH OF EOSES. 
A bunch of beautiful Povles des Jaidins 
Niplictos, Catborino jMcnnots and Hon Si- 
Ifenos which a generous frioud has placed 
upon our table, spreads its delicious fra¬ 
grance through the room and transports tile 
mind to the balmy days of June. Indeed it 
is but a few years that Hoses and June 
seemed as inseparable as snow and winter- 
.and w’hen now we find, in our large cities' 
Hoses in greaterdemand, and more plentiful 
than in the “Month of Hoses" i tself we cannot 
but wonder in amazement how- great and 
rapid has been the progress and improve- 
meut in this branch of floriculture. 
The amount of money invested in growing 
Roses under glass in the vicinity of New 
York would seem incredible to the unitia- 
ted. Not only are 
there man y h u u- 
dreds of forcing 
houses owned by pro¬ 
fessional growers, 
but many private es¬ 
tablishments have 
separate Rose houses 
the surplus product 
of which finds its 
way to the markets. 
As a rule—not an in¬ 
fallible one though— 
the prices are natu¬ 
rally proportionate 
to the cost of pro¬ 
duction, and it will 
therefore readily be 
perceived how a few 
hundred, or thou¬ 
sand dollars even, 
may easily be spent 
i n transforming a 
suite of parlors into 
a Rose garden. 
This lavish expen¬ 
diture for flowers is 
fre q u e n 11 y c o n- 
demned by contem¬ 
poraries, arguing 
that this money 
might be devoted to 
worthier purposes. 
While this may, in some measure, be true, 
it is also true that it is not always an easy 
matter to correctly decide where and in 
what manner money may be used to the best 
advantage. “Give it to the poor,” some 
will say. Now, the fact is that the ricli as a 
class give a great deal more in charities than 
is generally supposed. On the other hand it 
is evident that the indiscriminate bestowing 
of charities does more harm than good, as 
instead of benefiting the recipients, they 
more frequently encourage them in idleness. 
That there are thousands of deserving poor 
in our cities cannot be denied, but it is not 
^-vei-y easy matter to reach them, as this 
class of poor shrinks from asking charities, 
and is not found lounging around soup houses 
and the ofiices of charitable institutions. 
To devote i 
a part of one’s possessions to 
^ What gives enjoyment to oneself and friends 
18 certainly .an indisputed individual right. 
Hut to draw a comparison, the laboiing man 
who spends five .and ten cents every day for 
tobacco and drinks is propoi tionatcly far 
more extrav.agant than the millionaire who 
pays a thousand dollai-s a year lor liowei s. 
Nearly all this money paid for flowers goes 
directly to laboring people, and remains in 
the country, while tliat which is sent to 
Europe for paintings, statu.ary .and luxuries 
of various kinds is of no benefit whatever 
to our own working classes. 
It is far from our intention to undervalue 
art and its refining influences, but we do 
claim for horticulture a due share in its 
realms. To transform the wild Rose into 
no painting ever so artistic could equal; 
and the thought arises whether the skill and 
labor that have thus annihilated seasons and 
storms, beautified and perfected nature her¬ 
self, arc not entitled to as much recognition 
as fine arts, and whethci- those who have de¬ 
voted years of study and patient intelligent 
labor to this purpose are not as deserving of 
encouragement .and reward as the jiainter 
and sculptor. 
A BUNCH OF ROSES. 
the perfect type of to-day and make it ex- 
p.andits glorious blooms in mid-winter; to 
metamorphose the small meadow Strawberry 
into the luscious “ Jersey Queen; ” to bring 
together the varying species of a genus from 
different parts of the world, and so hybridize 
and cross them as to produce new forms of 
flowers and fruits which combine the desirsi- 
ble qualities of all, requires as much, if not 
more, skill, science and perseverance than 
to portray the model on canvass or fl^'sel in 
marble. The one produces the original, the 
we take another look at our living 
bunch of Roses, while a fierce snow storm 
?:ges without, pelting wildly against our 
windows, the contrast 
nature presents itself in 
between art and 
I vivid colors which 
PRESERVE THE FALLS OF NIAOABA. 
One of the most disgraceful spectacles in 
our Land is the wanton dcstructi.m of the 
vicinity of Niagara Falls by men utterly de¬ 
void of all aim higher than that of fleecing 
the largest amount of money possible from 
helpless visitors. We are therefore glad to 
note that the Ni¬ 
agara Falls Asso¬ 
ciation has begun 
active work again 
to preserve what is 
left of the natural 
scenery, even if all 
its former beauty 
cannot be restored. 
At the large and 
influential meeting 
held in New York 
on Januai-y 9th, it 
was urged that in¬ 
fluence be brought 
to be.arl upon the 
State Legislature, 
by forming branch 
societies in various 
parts of the state, 
and thns public 
opinion be .aroused 
for the good cause. 
It must be made 
evident that the 
outlay demanded 
for the proposed 
park will be a 
profitable invest¬ 
ment, and that an 
adequ.ate return 
will be realized 
upon all moneys 
expended. So laudable a scheme as the 
preservation of this great Natural Wonder, 
free .and intact, forever to the people of this 
st.ate and of the world at large, should com¬ 
mend itself heartily to the judgment of all 
right thinking persons; and no rightful 
means should be spared to provide what is 
needed in the future to secure the scenery 
of Niagara Falls from further destruction. 
TWENTT-FOUR PAGES. 
The pleasant pressure of appreciative 
patrons of our advertising department com- 
pells us to increase the c.apacity of The 
A itEEiCAjf Gapden to 24 pages, or including 
the cover 28 pages. Present appearances 
prophecy a permanent incre<ase to this or a 
larger size. 
