The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1898-02-06
ROSE PEDIGREE.
The Famous "American Beauty" was
n Chance Seeding

Toledo Talk,
The pedigree of roses may be compared
with that of animals. 1t has taken a great
many years of study to produce perfection
The early hybridizers saved seed promis-
cuously from dlfterent roses hibridized by
insects, and they accepted such results az
they got. Their roses burst into freaky
blossoms, very notified and queer. Nova
days hybridiZers know exactly what hey
If it is a crimson Paul Neyron that is de-
sired, the Neyron is used as the seed parent,
and the pollen is taken from some crimson
hybrid, such as the Jacqueminot. Then,
with perseverance and careful watching,
comes satisfactory result.
The roses of a score of years ago Wers
very insignificant compared with those OF
to-day, although there were some famOua
roses even then, the most prominent among
them being Bon Silene, Duchess de Bra
liant and the lovely Saffrano and Cornelfa
Cook. The last-named beauty, crossed with
Mermet, whose day has not yet been lived.
Roses, through constant cultivation under
unnatural conditions in greenhouses, ara
liable to sport. Two of the best roses of the
present time are mere offshoots of the Mer-
met The Bride, pure white rose, sprang
from its stalk, and is now doing a rival
business on its own account, and the Brides
maid, brighter than it's parent, came from
the same source. A third sport the Mermet
put forth, valueless from a commercial
standpoint, but interesting. This sport gave
out roses approaching crimson in color, and
produced in the Waban Conservatives
III Boston, was glowing and beautiful But
South, where it is used as bedding rose.
The yellow Pearl des Jardins has a pure
white sport, the Senator MacNaughton: also
q climbing sport, yellow like itself. whose
flowers are larger and more double These
climbing Thea roses are great favorites i'm
France, where they are hardy. La Marque,
named from the naturalist the constant
blooming Glorie de Dion. and Marshal Neil
III honor of Napoleons field marshal, being,
prominent.
The splendid American Beauty rose of TO-
day has little to boast of in the way of par
entage. 1t IS known as mongrel rose. q.
chance seeding, found in the rose garden
or Bancroft, the historian. The mongreI
roses are hybrids. between the hybrid per-
petuals and the Thea roses. They are half
blood hardy with the bright colors of the
hardy rose and the free constant bloom
Ing qualities of Thea roses. In this class
are the glowing Meteor. the Souvenir de
WoOtan, the TeStOut and the new French
rose. which is very much in favor the
President CarnOt. The naming of roses ia
almost as interesting as the methods Of
culture The original producers often at
tach their family name to a new rose
named a score of roses from his friends
and relatives One, the Souvenir de UNI
Ami lin memory of my friend) is q rather
striking title. Fully ~ per cent, of to-days
commercial roses are French productions.
Americans are just waking up to the neces-
sity of having roses peculiarly their own,
and horticultural societies throughout the
country are OHerlng large premiums for
purely American varieties. The Bride and
Bridesmaid the American Beauty with it's
sport. the Climbing Beauty the Souvenir
de Wootan and the hardy Marshal p. Wilder
are distinct productions of this country and
creditable enough
IN England and France propagation is
very different from that in America. The
old methods of grating and budding are
i'm vogue, while here the rose is propagated
from cuttings When new variety orig
mates a grower gets half-dozen plants.
and the following season offers them to the
trade by thousands.