The Richmond palladium and sun-telegram. [volume] (Richmond, Ind.) 1907-1939, 1908-07-26
ROSE EXPERT TELLS
OF FLOWER CULTURE
E. G. Hill, One of the Best
Known Experts, Talks
Of the Rose.
HAS RETURNED FROM PARIS
TELLS OF THE GREAT GRAVERE-
AUX GARDENS WHICH HAVE
BEEN THROWN OPEN TO THE
FRENCH PEOPLE.

During Z. G. Hills recent sojourn
in France, where he went TO act as a
judge in the Paris International Rose
show, members of his family and bust
ness associates received several very
interesting letters from him. These
letters are of especial interest TO the
public as they speak on roses and
rose culture-and there is no one who
is not interJted in roses, the most
beautiful of flowers Mr. Hill is re-
garded as one of the greatest rose ex-
perts in the world.
In one very interesting letter Mr.
Hill describes the celebrated rose
plantation near Paris belonging to
M. Jules Gravereaux Not long ago
this public spirited Frenchman made
his rose plantation public park and
each year he has a committee of five
rose experts Judge the plants on the
plantation. This year Mr.. Hill acted
as one of the judges.
In this letter Mr.. Hill makes the
interesting statement that for red
roses. the Richmond is now almost
exclusively raised for winter supply
He also states that greenhouse Gull
ture of roses in Europe is almost i'm
possible. Speaking of his love of
roses Mr.. Hill makes the comment
that he combines this love with a
commercial instinct TOO often the
enthusiast in the line of art or inven-
ton seems to have the commercial in
stinct entirely absent from his make
up he comments. Mr.. Hill states
that he has now in Richmond fifty
large plants of the Lyon rose, which
received the highest grading at the
rose show, and that they will be ready
they were imported last fall. The
letter referred to is as follows:
M. Jules Gravereaux is the owner of
the Bon Barche, the largest depart
ment store in Paris and, probably in
the world. man of great wealth and
OF exquisite taste; he is passionately
fond of roses and of rose growing,
and upon an estate bordering the city
| of Paris, he has gradually gathered
together thousands of roses of every
known species and family, beautifully
assorted in parterres, and all most
carefully classified and legibly label
ed. There are arches, pillars and lat
tices covered with sheets of bloom I'm
the climbing section; here are formal
| beds of partf-colored roses, trained in
close bush from and producing gay
Dresden and Pompadour effects: here
are rampant growers which disdain
the pruning shears, and run a riot of
glorious red and pink and rose colors,
while they burden the air with odors
of musk and of June
The extent and beauty of his won.
derful collection must have finally i'm
pressed M. Gravereaux as being too
unique and interesting for private
ownership, and so a very few years
since with the beautiful dignity and
formality so native to the French, the
owner of this delightful "Roserie de
| fHay" presented his magnificent
garden to the city of Paris, condition.
ed upon carrying forward his care
fully planned outlines. AT the time
of the presentation. NJ Gravereaux
must have felt that his plantation
contained every obtainable rose that
would thrive In the locality of Paris
his program did not. however, propose
to stop here, but arrangements were
made to add to the garden the worthy
| novelties of each year, from all the
| prominent growers over the world
Five strong plants of each novelty
were to be sent for bedding in the
garden in the month of March: these
If sufficiently established were to be
judged the following June, by jury
to be appointed by a municipal com
mfttee, which was to comprise five
well known Rosarians selected from
as wide territory as possible The
jury for 1908 consists Of VIM. Paul, Of
London: Peter Lambert of Trier, Ger
many; M. Loupert, of Luxembourg, E
G. Hill of Richmond and Secretar,
Fore sitter of Paris
Judging of Novelties.
The novelties must be judged By
points, ten, being the maximum:
points to be considered are first. con
stitution; second, color; third. form
and fullness; fourth. size of bloom;
fifth, odor; sixth, texture and keeping
qualities; seventh, stiffness of stem,
eighth, amplitude of foliage; ninth
and tenth, distinctiveness from exist
ing varieties.
These points, of course. apply Il
outdoor bedding, roses and do not GOV
er what, in America. are termed fore
ing varieties that is thoSa RI =,
grown Indoors for cut blooms from