Waterbury evening Democrat., 1903-05-26
THE GREATEST ROSE GARDEN.
50,oo0 Rose Trees Make Up,a Famous . WorId,. Eair T1n.,t+x, S,1a4

| A0AAs t.-I IS GuGSelUSB Dls NOAIcC, b0I
 the foundation of the guess is this: l Four acres are set to strong and vigor- ous rose trees. Thirty of the largest l exhibitors have sent their choicest l stock and each will strive for first
 place in the Judgment of the jury and
 people.
 This vast rose garden, with it's O0,000
 rose trees, lies east of the great palace 1 of agriculture. The warm eastern l slope has been made more fertile than
 your garden or mine with rich compost
 and 1t will be sight worth travelling
 far to see when the glorious colors | make bright the beds and fragrance 1 spreads far beyond the boundaries that | have now been set.
 This rose garden, the planting of I which was begun early in April, occu- f pies one of the conspicuous sites in the T city of knowledge The center of the
 garden Is at the main entrance to the 1 palace of agriculture, a grand struc-
 ture 1,6O0 feet long and BOO feet deep. l It is on a high elevation overlooking l the group of main buildings Of the ex-
 position, and, looking to the northeast | a splendid view of one of St Louis's
 most attractive residence districts is
 spread out before the eye. t es..s t When the graders finished their work I and turned the site over to the gar
 .deners, every vestige of soil had been I removed, and a broad expanse of sticky, yellow clay remained. Surely 1 to the layman most unfavorahIe loca- l ton for a flower garden. But to the I practical rose grower it was m ideal
 spot. The ground was plated with a
 series of eight collections, forming q l great oval, 15O feet long and 100 feet 1 wide, ae the central picture. Tn the
 center of this oval is erected statue of the goddess of flowers, in heroic
 size. Thanking this oval on the north I and sotrth are two great collections, I triangular in form. Scores of other l collections laid out in plots of ground
 in various shapes, but all conforming l with the geenral harmony of the main l picture have been provided
 Each collection, while separate and I distinct iL itself, forms a part of a
 great and artistic whole. and q belt of I beautiful green lawn. from four to elght feet wide. surrounds the entire four acres of roses. and at various in-
 tersections beautiful fountains. send I ing up streams of crystal water and l cooling the atmosphere, are to be met.
 Seats to accommodate thousands of
 visitors have been provided and the
 seats are so distributed as not to inter-
 fere with the free passage through the
 gardens of the countless thousands who will revel in the glorious sight.
 The work of planting the 50.000
 roses already growing in this mann moth garden, the largest of it's kind I ever conceived, occupies the time of l scores of expert gardeners and hosts of laborers. For each collection exca- l vations eighteen inches deep, of the I form and size required for the collec- ton, were dug In the sticky clay soil. I Then the excavations were filled ill l with rich top soil and sandy loam. A l dressing of fertilizer, of the kind best 1 adapted to the requirements of the par I ticular rose tree collection, Is spread l and then came the work of putting the l young plants in their magnificently l conceived new home. With the young l plant firmly placed in its perfectly pre- pared be. came April showers. The
 water percolated through the rich soil and was absorbed in the sandy loam. The strong and healthy young bushes I sent their vigorous roots down through
 the soft earth and found secure 1odg-
 ment in the clay that forms the foun- | dation. Then no matter how hard the l wind blew, they were not disturbed. I While the roots were developing url- ] seen under the ground, there was eVi- I dence of their power in the vigorous 1 growth above ground The young
 shoots. anxious for their freedom after
 the winters captivity in the cramped 1 cold frames and the packages in which
 they were shipped, grew by leaps and
 bounds. Springing up from the ground, ,~sy Ala a+ Gpr% q anSF l transparent, so delicate were they. I Then they became Drowned by the
 sun and exposure and soon the little l buds appeared and under the ministra
 tions of the watchful gardeners. and l the influence of the warm April sun, I the young plants were allowed to. l bloom, but not sufficiently to tax too l greatly the energy of the plant. Exy l pansion was what the gardener mostly l wanted, and the wood growth of the rose tree is demanded this year more l than the blossom.
 Most-o the 5O,o0O roses now planted l are of the hardy or semi-hardy varie- ties, but many of the varieties that are I not supposed to stand the rigors of a l St Louis winter are among the speci- l mems shown in the mammoth worlds
 rair garden. All during the summer l months, and until the snow flies next l fall, the rose trees will continue in-
 creasing in size, strength and beauty.
 Then will the gardeners take pfecaT
 lions to prevent the front from inter-
 fering with the beautiful picture pro-
 ~ided for visitors to the City of
 Knowledge The entire four acres will l be heavily mulched. Manure. straw
 and litter will be packed about the
 roots of each individual plant. and
 top layer Of straw will Cover the beau-
 tiful rose garden for the winter as tho,
 waters cover the sea and the snow
 covers inc ground. Then no matter
 how. low the temperature may drop
 or. now strong the storm may bl sw. the
 epring of 1904 will witness the awal1-
 ening of the greatest and most artis- | tic exhibit of choice roses ever collect 1 ed.
 The planting of this mam.aoth rose
 garden was done under the persoaal supervision of Joseph H. Hadkinson.