The Indianapolis times. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1922-1965, 1925-10-17

m INCE the days when the
- sweet singer of Israel" sang
IL the praises of the Rose Of
Sharon, civilized man has extolled
the we'll loved rose as he has no
other flower. In ancient days many
peoples could claim, as could the
Greeks and Romans, that ain their
joys and sorrows the rose was their
favorite flower" The Romans in
particular used incredible quantities
Of them, stuffing touches as well as
covering them with rose petals,
scattering them in palace halls and
on festive occasions, even in the
streets. Nero outdid Queen Cleo
patra's record Of spending $4,000 on
roses for just one day, for at a
single feast It is said he expended
$50, 900 on roses! And once, 1t is
said, his rose showers were so abund-
ant that some unlucky guests were
literally smothered in roses. In Persia
and in all other places where the
rose found its way love and honor
awaited it. 1.-THE SAVIOR Of the rose."
sang Chaucer, "smote to the hearts
root" And throughout the middle
ages ran a thread of rose-romance.
for this was the flower of chiva1ry-
Of love--as well as the badge of the
two great English families whose
feudal combats, rending England
with civil wars. were known as the
Wars of the Roses.
How readily has this Queen Of
Flowers" responded to mans
eager meddlingl With what magic
has the single five-petaled rose of
the cottage garden-one much like
our wild rose-changed its stamens
into petals Of various sizes and of
every possible tint of pink and yellow
and red! Because Of its fragrance
and its beauty. and because it is
capable Of producing more varieties
than any other known flower, the
rose has won a world triumph for
itself and for devoted horticulturists
of Asia, Europe, and North America,
who have given up lifetime in per-
fecting 1t.
The rose-grower may have another
reward besides the happiness that
comes to the lover OF flowers; foA
the rose has a commercial value that
no other flower possesses. The rose
is a value horticulturally las yearly
in the United States alone 100 100000
rose blossoms are sold at a value
of $6,000,000), and as the source of
rose water and valuable altar of
roses. This altar, an expensive oil
Of great fragrance is distilled from
the rose. 1t requires 10000 flowers
to make a single ounce Of it. In
the south of France roses are grown
for this purpose, as they are in
thousands Of acres in Bulgaria
where the finest grade of altar is
obtained.
Roses are Of the genus Rosa of
the family Rosaceae. In the rose
family are the apple, pear, plum,
peach, blackberry, raspberry, straw.
berry, and included as we'll are such
ornamental plants as the mountain
ash and spirea- In temperate and
cold parts of the northern hem
isphere roses are widely distributed.
They are erect. climbing. or trailing
shrubs, are generally prickly
stemmed, with flowers borne either
singly or in terminal clusters, which
are followed by a berry-like fruit,
generally red or orange-yellow.
Botanists agree that there are
thousands of varieties. These are
some times divided into two large
classes-summer roses, those bloom
ing but once a year. and autumnal
roses, those blooming more than
once. some continuously from early
summer until fall. Among nineteen
important groups Of these varieties
are the moss rose. hardy garden,
ramblers, teas. hybrid teas, and n.y.
brid perpetuals.
There are forty to fifty species Of
wild roses, ranging in color from
white to pink or red. They all have
single blossoms with iive petals, and
numerous stamens and pistils. In
the many petaled cultivated varieties
these stamens are transformed into