THE TWELVE BEST ROSES.

Press, Volume LVI, Issue 16881, 8 July 1920, Page 8

THE TWELVE BEST ROSES.

PLEBISCITE IN VICTORIA. Hose lovers will no doubt remembeS the interest that was created some rears ago by the plebiscite conducted by the Melbourne "Argus" and "The Press" to determine the twelve best roses. A few weeks ago, the National R-ose Society of Victoria suggested that as some new ''creations" had come into the field since tho vote in 1914, another plebiscite would be useful to rosegrowers.

Discussing the proposal, Mr J. Allan, president of the Society, said: ''I think that at least seven new roses would get into tho first 12. Since tho last votct Mr Alister Clarke has grown a ro ® e ' known as the Sunny South, and Mr B. V. Rosei, of Ivanhoe, an undoubted authority, says that it is probably tho best decorative rose in Australia. Miss Marion Manifold, red climber, is probably the best climber in tho world, and certainly the best in These roses *wcro not in existence when tho last vote was taken."

The "Argus" agreed to conduct a plebiscite, and opened its columns on June Oth to lists of favourite roses. The voting closed on the 24th, by which date 593 lists had been received. Following is the result of the voting: — First Twelve. Votes. Madame Abel Chatcnny ... 455 Frnu Karl Dmschki (otherwise Snow Queen) ... ... 423 Miss Marion Manifold ... 313 Lynns Rose ... ... 2-6-5 Madame Edouard Heriot ... 261 Mrs Herbert Stevens ... 252 General Macarthur ... ... 340 Chateau de Clos Vougeofc ... 230 Belle Siebrecht ... ... 23-5 Red Letter Day ... ... 221 Lady Hillingdon ... ... 187 Maman Ccchct (White) ... ISo Second Twelve. La France ... ... ... 174 Caroline Testout ... ... 173 Sunny South ... ... 157 Maman Cochet ... ... 135 Joseph Hill ... 123 George Dickson ... ... 102 K. A. Victoria ... ... 99 Hugh Dickson ... ... 65 Lady Battersea ... ... 52 Lady Greenall ... ... 46 Mrs A. R. Waddell ... 45 Prince Camille de Rohan (otherwise Dr. Rushpler) ... 45 Third Twelve. Colonel Oswald Fitzgerald ... 44 Antonie Rivoirc .... ... 43 C. V. Iloworth ... .... 40 Alexander Hill Gray ... " 40 Madame J.ules Bouche ... 37 Modesty ... ... ... 36 Souvenir de Leonie Viennot ... 36 Mrs Harold Brocklebank ... 35 Countess Clan William ... 31 Dean Hole ... ... 32 Georges Schwartz ... ... 32 Mrs McKellar ... ... 32 PREVIOUS VOTES. The 1914 plebiscite resulted as follows : — Votes. Fran Karl Druschki ... 390 Madame Abel Chatenay ... 382 White Mamai Cochet ... 319 Lyon Rose ... . ... 302 It. A. Victoria ... 300 General Macarthur ... 269 Belle Siebrecht ... ... '243 La France ... ... 219 Joseph Hill ... ... 156 Prince Camille do Rohan ... 144 Rhea Reid ... ... 139 Maman Cochet , ■ ... 129 A ballot, held in 1903, gave the following result: — Votes. La France ... ... 338 ... Maman Cochet ... ... 324 The Bride ... ... 254 Kaiserin Augusta Victoria ... 219 Prince Camille do Rohan ... 209 Marechal Niel ... ... 201 White Maman Cochet ... 192 Cloth of Gold ... ... 182 Madame Lombard ... ... 177 Niphetos ... ... 143 Mrs T. Laing ... ... 123 Bolle Siebrecht ... ... 121 It will Be seen by tho lists, says tho "x\rgus," that White Maman Cochet and IJelle Siebrecht are the only two to win a place in all three ''first twelves." La France missed the honour by a few votes, as it is, this year, on top of the second twelve. Sir J. Allan, in discussing the vote, said that La France gained large support frffm the country. Amongst its supporters was Mr Alister Clark. This was not so much a matter of locality as a tendency on the part of La France to attain its best results when to some extent allowed to run wild. This privilege was not always extended by the city rosarian; hence the results were not so good. Mr Allan added that some of the roses undoubtedly suffered in the voting through being little known at present. Edith Part, a rose supported by Mr B. V. Rossi, of Ivaniioe, received only .12 votes. It was reasonable to expect that this rose would establish itself more completely when it became more widely known. What applied to Edith Part, Mr Allan considered, to some extent applied to Sunny South, though the latter was much better known that Edith Part.

The secretary of the Rose Society (Mr Powne) counted the votes of 22 officers of the Society, and found tliat, tliey selected eight of the 12 placed in the loading positions. It is added that in publishing tho lists the names adopted for roses by tho voters were used in each case, but in making up totals, with the object of arriving at the verdict of the people, some adjustments became necessary. Snow Queen and Frau Karl Druschki lists were added together as they ar« identically the same rose. This added 18 to Frau Karl Druschki's already substantial total; but it did not change its relative position in the first 12. Eleven climbinjr Belle Siebreclits were added to Belle Siebrecht; but in this case also the addition was immaterial as far as relatives position were concerned. Twenty-three votes recorded for Dr. Rushpler were added to Prince CamilJe de Rohan, the latter being the officially recognised name of the rose. This enabled Prince Camille to reach the second 12.

A plebiscite of "Press" readers, conducted in February;. 1914, to determine tho twelve best varieties of garden roses, resulted : — • . , Votes. Fran'Karl 3>ruschki ■ 246 Ladv Roberts ... ••• 20? Betty ... ••• Jp? Lyon ... ... Hugh Dickson ... l£± Madame Abel Qhatenay ... 1 ; 50 Madame Ravary ... ••• 13/ Lady Ashton ••• 13" Victor Hugo ... 1^ White Maman Cochet US Madame Lombard ... ••• 103 Caroline Testout "... 100