The Brattleboro reformer. (Brattleboro, Vt.) 1907-1912, 1911-06-02
CRAZE FOR CLIMBING ROSES.
New Varieties That Bloom
All Summer.

The last ten years have witnessed a re-
markable DEVELOPMENT in climbing roses.
Indeed. il may be said that when the
horticuturists of America began to trans
fer the beauties of the oldtlme tavorltes
to trailing vines, new era OF rose culture
in America was established. ! know OF
no single group OF climbing or trailing
vines that can be measured up against the
climbing roses of today and stand the test.
The honeysuckle may flower long, but it
is not gorgeous; the wlstarla has but a
very short season, and so on all through
the list But / can show you climbing
roses that will give a succession OF bloom
from June till the end of October. Can
YOU equal that in any other one group OF
vines?
A generation ago the climbing roses
available were far different group from
what we have today. All were more or
less tender if the flowers were OF any size
All were somewhat insignificant in flower
by comparison, if they were at all hardy,
with only one or two exceptions. Inc
Avrshires. the Noisettes, etc, were too
tender and the two or three harder ones
were too singular. 1t was the coming OF
tbe Memorial rose. less than 20 years
ago. that made the wine rose reality
in our gardens. With it came absolute
hardness great righteousness, rapid
growth, graceful habit, resistance TO m
sects and disease. and long-enduring foil
age. The almost simultaneous appear
ance of a snowy, hardy crimson, climbing
rose from China. with flowers in clusters,
concentrated the attention of gardeners,
and the very natural question arose
whether this could be combined with the
Memorial The Crimson Rambler, though
strong growing and gorgeous, had an the
weaknesses of the oldtime. roses. 1t was
prone to disease somewhat stiff grower
and its foliage became sere and yellow
in the height of summer-de defects that had
forced into the background its natural pro
totype, the single white multif1ora, which
had been knocking at the door for recogg-
milton for hundred years. New hybnds
were quickly produced, and among the
earliest of these are some which are IN the
front rank of our climbing roses today. A
wave of interest arose. The
new climbing roses spread everywhere; In
the meantime the still new race of hybrid
teas was finding popularity because 1t was
ever blooming.
Hvbridists were quick to take the next
Memorial. The results are upon us today, |
and the onrushing wave of popularity has
brought back with it and replaced in our
gardens. I hope permanently, some OF the
9lder climbers that had been drifting into
oblivion.
There are three well marked groups OF
he climbing roses: a. The multifora,
Towering early in June and soon passing:
closely following this is (2) the group of
prairie roses, originated from our own
Rosa setigera, free-growing, with gray
green foliage, heavy flowers, and of some
What dull color; they are chiefly useful be-
,ause they lengthen the season and bridge
he gap to the 81 Memorial group.
The Memorial rose ROSA wichuraiana)
lowers from July to September, but, in its
lybrids its season is extended both before
md after. l have cut wreaths of some of
Mr.. Walsh's hybrids when the frost was
IN them. Every one knows the beautiful
Dorothy Perkins, pink lowered proto-
ype of Crimson Rambler, with all the