The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1896-04-26
WHERE THE ROSE IS QUEEN.
EATURE's DIsPLlY OF FLOWERS
IN SOUTHERN CALIFORNIA.
Wonderful LuSuriance OF the Rose Every.
where - R-ose-covsrsd Bowers - Plants
that Bear 20, 900 Flowers ans Mors-Gor-
geousnsss OF tho Rose Trees or Reality.

NV
that Bear eO,OO Flowers and More-Gor-
geousness OF tho tsose Trees OF lkosiitys
POMONA. CAL, April 20.-"I have been all
over Europe" said DIR. Chauncey NJ. Dopew
In Los Angeles n fortnight ago, land have
seen nowhere else such marvellous floral dis
plays as nature makes on every hillside and
through the valleys and cations Of southern
California. But the roso IN tho unauestioned
queen of the great floral kingdom here. Nowhers
else Is there anything In vegetation that COM
pares with the California roses"
No picture. no word painting. no poetry eves
adequately told the beauty and luxuriance OF
the roses OF southern California In their season
OF full bloom, In March and April. 1t is like
trying TO make a man who Is blind and has no
sense OF smell know tho delicacy and beauty Of
q camelia. Go where you will, turn your
eyes in any direction. and there are scenes
beautifully colored by thousands OF roses. The
most delicate tea roses. the rarest Marechal
Niels. and the most royal Marie Van Houtes
grow beside the door OF the lowliest mountain
cabin, while climbing roses OF the most ex.
quisite varieties Chamber with tropic luxurt.
ance UP the sides OF old barns and adorn de"
serted cattle and horse corrale. In some l-
calities there are literal thickets OF La Marque,
Rainbow. and Glare Carnot roses. which
might each winter bring hundreds OF dollars
TO their careless owners II the floral crop could
~ ".S a"oN
ern city. On the road to Los Angeles and
about Pomona there are In the aggregate fully
q mile of thick hedges of Marechal Mel, Chero-
kee. and J~acqueminot roses. In the season OF
blossoming the air Is In many valleys heavy
with the perfume OF roses.
Tho remarkable luxurtance or roses, as well
as OF all varieties. OF vegetation In southern
California, Is accounted for by tho fact that
rarely is there n touch OF frost. and the soil, in
ITSELF OF extraordinary Fertility. has the quail.
ty Of holding moisture we'll. and giving 1t up TO
the plant life when needed. Vines. plants.
bushes, and trees that can flourish In q tenn
p%erature which only a few times n year goes
below 1T above zero, sutrer from no setback
because OF climatic vicissitudes. and from the
day of their termination until extreme old age,
have nothing to do but grow. grow, grow, sea.
son after season and year after year.
In some OF the rose gardens In this region,
particularly through the san Gabriel and
Pomona valleys, there are grown more than
loo separate and distinct varieties of roses.
In the well known Skinner 1859 garden in
Pomona 17S varieties or roses blossom for .
month or two every year, while twenty-five
varieties Imported from japan and islands in
the Mediterranean are In annual bloom ten
months out OF twelve. The wealth OF color
and the sense OF boundless profusion te-
gotten by a visit to these southern California
Toso kuIhehS w iueA 'lloh III Ut
Dor has been built to support tho climbing
roses planted by its side. and the structure Is
In a year or two completely covered by tie
network of branches and blossoms, while long
graceful branches droOp TO the ground. In
the season OF flowers, as one stands at q dis
lance and looks ut these rose arbors. they pre-
sent a picture of flowing cataracts OF brilliant
bloom. and the whole fills the air with DELI
cate odors such as no perfumer has ever been
able to distil.
AS one walks along the streets OF the older
settled towns In this region, such as santa bar.
bara, San Gabriel, and Santa Ana, large
branches. laden heavily with roses more per.
feet In form and color than tens of thou
sands that are sold in New York, Philadels
phia, Boston. and other Eastern cities Tor S4e
dozen, thrust themselves over the fences or
cypress hedges, across his way, as II TO dare
him to purloin their wondrous beauty. On
scores of streets there are rows or pepper treess
up whose shaggy bark Cloth OF Gold, Beauty or
GlaZeuwood. ana Devonlensis roses nave been
trained to climb so thickly as to conceal the
trunk from sight. In the months or Bios
sOming roses there can hardly be n more royal
sight than II row or these pepper trees. envel.
oped from the earth clear TO the branches IN
n mantle OF thousands OF roses OF all imagi-
nable hues. ana bearing abort ponderous
branches OF fine. thick green foliage. Paint.
crs have vied with one announcer 10 represent
the combination OF color presented in such
scenes as these.
When you call upon friends In this semi.
tropic land in tho rose season they will stroll
with you through the rose garden and poins
out by the scores ana mites tho famous varie.
ties that have hitherto been known to you only
through the pages OF the florists or nurserys
mans catalogues. They will cut for you hand.
full after handful of the pure white Niphetos.
the indcscribably lovely Bon Shene. and the
dainty and always richly dressed Gold OF onhir
and the unique moss rose.
The rapid and immense growth OF all rose
plants is a matter OF establishment to all new
,omers To southern California. There are hun.
dr.ds ~ c,iuhir, rosos that have GROWN tyv.n.
dre'is ID 'l'ilp'h1 roSeS 'h"' ha'e s'""H' ".n-
ty-ilve and thirty feet in three years. AT die
Arlington in Santa barbara there IL a climb
-.'S. ,,.h ..n .a,. ol, uho.a IT,
ing rose oush e'ho '"eA'S So"'s o"' WINS rs
Vulnerable branches cover nm area OF over