Atlanta semi-weekly journal. (Atlanta, Ga.) 1898-1920, 1912-01-23

/ and turned over to So
ciety which distributes them among
the hospitals and the poor of the Dis
trict of Columbia.
The government rose growers are con-
stantly experimenting with new roses
sent to them by individual growers
Most Of these are the products Of east
ern nurseries. Among the new ones now
being studied is a beautiful pink rose
grown by a Baltimore rosarian who has
called it My Maryland" 1t is a clean,
straight-stemmed species, little less
vigorous than the American beauty
which it resembles, although ID
is of a lighter shade. AS an experiment,
one stem of a plant of this species was
allowed to grow unrestricted and it al
most touched the ceiling of the green
house, height of about ten feet. This
rose has some excellent qualities and viii
be popular, although it will be several
years until a sufficient number Of plants
are on the market to make 1t widely
known.
There have been many discussions as
to the origin Of the American Beauty
rose. When it was first sent to Europe
it was received enthusiastically as a
new rose until an old French gardener
traced it back to the Madame Ferdinand
Jarmain. which was popular in France
nearly a century ago. There is no doubts
however, that the present form Of this
magnificent flower originated In the capt.
tai city of the United States. An Irish
gardener, employed in the government
gardens was a rose lover and made
few experiments in rose propagation
in his own home. One of his results was,
the rose plant from which every Ameri-
can Beauty rose now in existence may
be said to have sprung. A Washington
florist, visiting this mans house, saw
the plant, recognized its possibilities,
bought it from the growers wife for 80
cents and Immediately started it's repro
duction on a large scale. It's success was
almost magical from the beginning and
while the originator received almost
nothing for his work, the man who was
able to place it upon the market soon
acquired q fortune from it.
The craze for. the American Beauty
rose in America has rivaled that for
the black tulip in Holland a century
or two ago. Flowers have been raised
with stems u and Is feet long which
have sold at fabulous prices. No other
rose has ever combined such perfection
OF flower, foliage and stem with such
purity of perfume. It has called into
use a greater amount of glass-covered
area than all the other flowers grown
for commercial purposes combined.
Little has been done in the way of
prevention of plant enemies such as in
sects and mildew. To destroy insects
there seems as yet. no better mode than
spraying with water mixed with insecti-
eide For mildew. sulphur still seems
the sovereign remedy. In the government
green houses, a preparation Of sulphur
and oil is painted over the pipes and
the heat turned on. The sulphurous va
pors destroy every trace of mildew. For
roses grown out of doors, sulphur IS
sprinkled upon the plants. Because some
florists feel that sulphur affects the
delicate colors of the flowers, a sub
stitute is being sough, several are
now being experimental with. The most
promising is called grape powder. It IS
derived from grapes and resembles cream
of tartar in some of its properties It is
beirg tried nc in the rose house Of the
department of agriculture and by several
private rose growers, but its efficacy
has not as yet been established.