Concerning Roses.

Oamaru Mail, Volume XXXI, Issue 8835, 15 July 1905, Page 3 (Supplement)

Concerning Roses.

.or (Sydney Morning Herald.) 1 j With all the improvements and vast ■I strides made in tlte existing varieties of '-I flowers during.the past few years, the rose, • as the "queen" of them all, still holds her - sway. >.b other flower in the vocabulary 'M of Flora's beauties has proved a.successful c! rival to her throne in the public estimae tion. The national emWcm has well up- - held its chosen devfte all through the long - period of time since its adoption in the: K reign of Henry 111. Vast improvements i have been made, both in color, form, and |, lasting qualities, of this ever-popular favor- • itc: and although much has been accom- ■ plished in the past, there still remains a • large field to be t-xptored in the matter 1: of hybridisation and the raising of seed, to still further improve and extend the number of our best roses, which grow so luxuriantly in our favored clime. There is no genus which commands and receives so much labor and attention from the horticulturist as the rosi, and as far as pre- | sent experience goes novelties in roses can I only be Obtained in two ways—by hybridisation or cross-fertilisation and by freak 6 or sports of Nature, which, so far as observation and experience have ascertained, are quite uncontrollable. To sports of Nature we are indebted for many first-class roses, such as Sunset (sport from Perle des Jardins) and The Bride (sport from Catherine Mermet). That universal favorite La France has given us sports of great merit, including Duchess of Albany and Mdlle. Augustine truinnoisseau. the latter being of tint. It is not surprising 'that so much devotion should be givtn to this queen of flowers when wo consider her beauty, and how worthy of admiration is the rich harvest of noble 1

flowers almost daily presented under a con- ( sistent and generous cultivation. There are four sections or classes of { roses which every true rosarian tries to cultivate—viz., hybrid perpetuals, hybrid ( teas, tea-scented, and climbers. The other { varieties, such as the Polyantha, Provence, E and Bourbons, are not "so widely distri- 5 buted, but are great acquisitions in any v garden. Many amateurs find a difficulty t in the classification of their roses, owing in a great measure to the apparent simi- * larity in many points. The species alone f of roses number over 200, showing the extreme variability of the plant and their wide dispersion over the globe, new varieties being constantly introduced by the art of the hybridiser and the careful selection " of the raiser. ?.

The source from which Hybrid Perpetual rose originated was the monthly or China rose, crossed with the centifolia or galliea type, producing roses which at the time of their first introduction into English gardens produced, in addition to other attractions, a long blooming season twice in the year—viz., early spring and early autumn —and for tin's reason were termed

"perpetuals," a distinct class of roses —a nondescript class at the best. There is a great misnaming of a large number of roses classed under the section of Hybrid Perpetuals, a name originating from its twice blooming habit, which can scarcely be termed perpetual, for naturally, although they are perpetual hybrids, they are not perpetual bloomers, being in a state of rest as regards flowering during the summer months. There are some roses in this class that yield no flowers in the autumn, like Jean Liabaud and others of that type, where autumn blooms are quite exceptional, and that only on old plants, but, wdien in bloom, however, are beautiful specimens of a velvety crimson color, with black shading and fine form. Some of the Eo-called perpetuals display their form and coloring to perfection during the autumn months;. but it is difficult to find a deep crimson of the perpetual class that will give flowers of superior quality late in the season. Perhaps the best for autumnal blooming are Louis van Honttee and Prince Camille de Rohan. There are plenty of good late-blooming roses in the class of Hybrid Perpetuals of lighter shades, notably Alfred Colomb and Marie Baumann. In very light shades this section can boast of both fine spring and autumn bloomers—Baroness Rothschild and Marguerite de St. Amand amongst their number. La France, originally classed with the perpetuals, has been promoted as a mark of honor from this class to the hybrid tea family. The so-called Hybrid Perpetuals, although very beautiful in shape and fragance, lack the golden tints and blending of shades that are found in so great a variety amongst what are termed in contradistinction the ever-blooming and Hy-

brid Tea secions, as well as their continuous flowering qualities. They are, however, noted for their finely shaped flowers and their hardiness and adaptability of thriving in less favorable places than others. They are generally upright in growth, and "mostly deciduous, many of the leaves falling in the early winter when grown in cold districts." In England, also to a great extent in France, the Hybrid Perpetual—the show rose par excellencestill holds first, place. Hybrid roses are comparatively of more recent origin, being unknown before the vear 1879. These were introduced into English gardens by a noted rosarian and hybridiser, and consisted of only nine varieties. They were all of considerable merit, possessing the chief characteristics of the "pcrpetuais," in addition to their delightful and exceptional perfume, and were a great desideratum in this class of rose. Throughout Australia the hybrid teas are much appreciated, and come under the class of "ever-blooming roses," and are to be seen in nearly every garden where roses are grown. They differ in many ways from the perpetuals, owing to the process of cross fertilisation, the difference being very apparent in fragrance, form of flower, climbing qualities, and continuity in blooming, the two latter qualifications rendering this class of teas the most useful of garden roses. In this section the range of color is so great that except for the verydarkest- shades found in the perpetuals, we need scarcely leave it for variety. The climbing habit of the species is seldom or never found in the perpetual class of roses, The hybrid teas, coming, as they do, in s class between the teas and hybrid perpe-

tuals. require in pruning to be cut moderately hard, or what may be termed half-

pruned, whilst in the case of the pure teas, too hard pruning is detrimental, many of the varieties only requiring the removal of their shoots and crowded wood, only very slightly cutting them back to strong buds. If exhibition or show roses are required in the hybrid perpetual division, hard pruning must be resorted to. Her Majesty 11i.P.) often produces long shoots; it should be shortened and pegged down, as. not being of a climbing habit, it should never be allowed to ramble. If the ama-

tour when cutting flowers from the tea. or hybrid tea section of. roses would, in the process of gathering, cut them with fairly long stems down to a strong outward growing bud, it would materially obviate the necessity of using the pruning knife too freelv, as by so doing the roses are partialis pruned, and will also tend to improve and hasten the buds of forthcoming flowers. There is constant variation from the normal condition in the size, form, or disposition of buds or shoots on many roses which are termed '•'sports," reference to which has already been made. An inferior variety or rose, for instance, may suddenly produce a rose of superior quality or an unwontedly fine flower, and if removed from the plant and treated as cuttings or grafts, such sports may be perpetual. Should any of our amateurs discover a sport of this kind from any in his collection of roses, it will be well to remember that many varieties have thus originated. The cause of their production is very obscure.

This being the pruning and planting season for all roses, a few suggestions for the amateurs guidance may prove useful. It is an axiom in rose pruning that the more vigorous in habit a plant is the greater number of shoots should be cut out at the base, and the less should those which are left be shortened. This has in view in particular the production of flowers in the most perfect condition. If many shoots are removed from a strong grower, and those left are shortened too closely, the result will be vigorous growth, with few

flowers In planting, each rose should W allotted to it a space of quite 3ft each way and vigorous growers, such as Maman Cochet and Marie van Houte wiU require a greater space to thrive in. All roses should be watered mU ] Clean water; soapy or dirty water sliould never be used, as such will often prove fatal, In the surroundings of Sydney and similar climates, the rose during the winter period does not obtain that •rest from its labors" which the colder districts of our Commonwealth afford I here is little fear of the newly-planted roses being killed by heavy frosts In colder districts, however, it will be found necessary to give them some protection to ensure their safety during the inclemency of winter. In planting the tea and hybrid tea Varieties, it is better to place them by themselves, and hot mix them with the hybrid perpetual or spring-blooming roses. A list of the best roses, even on the very highest authority, would be of small practical use to the great body of the public who grow Or wish to grow roses. The catalogues issued by the principal florist are as good a guide to the general purchaser as can well be had, except in the matter of new roses, and in regard to that, considering the immense number of blanks the raiser of new varieties has to put wi with, compensated only by a prize now and again, it is not in human nature to praise productions of a rival firm, or withhold an extra flourish of trumpets to herald the advent of one's own. As a rule, by watchin« the list of the shows annually in Sydney and our large towns, a fairly correct estimate can be obtained of the leading roses—these roses, which form a part of all the stands, being almost always the best for I that particular year. But what are the best roses for any particular soil or climate j can only be ascertained by patient and ex haustive trial, and by noticing what succeeds in our own immediate neighborhood.