Evening star., 1938-08-13

carmine, red and the balance Of six
color blends that are hard to describe
accurately. OF these daughters other
than sports, only II show colors not
exhibited by Ophelia and her sports.
OF these, five are red or carmine and
six unrecognizable through mixture.
Ophelia then, was distinctly prepotent
for color, as up to 1880 she transmitted
her own colors to 76 of her SO de-
scendants.
THE American counterpart Of the
English beauty, Ophelia, is her
first sport found growing on an Ophe-
liza bush by E. G. Hill at Richmond.
Ind. This rose later became Madam
Butterfly. She is much like her par
ent but is larger. She is also deeper
in color, very fragrant, has an even
better form and is better exhibition
rose than Ophelia. When Madam
Butterfly is right" she is hard to beat
This is attested by the records OF local
rose displays where this rose often has.
been declared to be the best in her
class and not infrequently is selected
as the best rose in the entire rose
display. all varieties competing.
About the time this rose was pro-
duced in Indiana, 1918, the country.
just released from the pail of the
World War, was enraptured with
Puccinis opera. Madam Butterfly"
The music, stage setting and charac-
tiers were so gay and colorful that
they captured and held the admiration
and applause of the American audi
ences. Sensing the similarity between
the attributes Of this opera and this
new rose. Miss Sarah Hill, sister of
E. G. Hill, named it Madam Butter
fly" This name together with its
own great beauty, fragrance and
appeal launched the new rose with
fanfare and elan" While many rose
names are selected to glorify some
woman, that of Madam Butterfly"
does more, for it brings to mind the
romance and beauty Of that unfor-
gettable opera.
Madam Butterfly is also the mother
OF several fine roses. Up to 1880, she
had produced family Of over 20 new
rose sorts. Six of these were sports"
OF herself, of which Rapture and Lady
Sylvia are the two best known. Others
Of her parentage include Gaiety, Queen
Marie, Florex. Bloomfield Giant, Mrs.
Percy V. Pennybacker, Lady Canada.
Rio Rita, Sweet Adeline, Princess
aeana and others. Perhaps the best
rose produced by this rose mother is
the yellow rose. Joanna Hill.
X X
JOANNA HILL. like its grandmother
Ophelia, is both a greenhouse and
a garden rose. This rose was pro-
duced by the e. G. Hill Co. In 1928.
She is an inbred Ophelia. That is to
say one of its parents. Madam But
terf1y, was found growing on an Ophe-
liza bush, and the other immediate
parent, Miss Amelia Guide (named for
daughter of the house Of William
Guide here in Washington by Mr..
Fred Lemon, who owned it, was by
Columbia. another sport" of Ophelia
and Sunburst, Pernetiana rose.
Joanna Hill is very stylish rose.
She has a creamy yellow complexion
and refulgence of her own. The
buds are large and long pointed. The
flowers open into beautiful oval and
last we'll. The foliage is a lighter
shade of green than that of either
Ophelia or Madam Butterfly. This
may be due to the Pernet infusion
through Sunburst. The blooming
period of Joanna Hill is long and
profuse Some of the best green
house Joanna Hill roses are grown
in Washington greenhouses. Green
homegrown Joanna Hills have won
many prizes in local rose displays
The Potomac Rose show at the New
National Museum on October / and 2
next will be good place to see both
greenhouse and garden-grown Joanna
Hills at their best.