Evening star., 1939-02-15
Rose Institute Opens
3-Day Session 10
Explore Hobby
Value Of Flower as
Recreation Cited by
6. W. u. President

The second annual Institute of
Rose Growing, meeting in the first
of a three-day session at George
Washington University last night,
was told by DR.. Cloyd Heck Marvin,
president of G. w. u, rose garden
Is the best means Of escape from the
hum-drum existence of everyday
life.
In welcoming the institute to the
university, DR.. Marvin said:
Il don't suppose there is any
other group of fans which stick
together as we rose-lovers do. It
is because we have a sublime object;
we fuse an ideal which we carry
in our own minds with the finest
thing in nature, the rose. My feel
ing is that the creative emotion set
up with careful planting and inspec-
ton OF our favorite rose bushes is
the chief attraction of the pastime.
There are no good roses and no bad
roses; but there are good gardeners
and bad gardeners"
DR.. Gamble Speaks.
DR.. ]. A. Gamble, member of the
Board of Directors of the Potomac
Rose Society, which co-sponsored
the institute with the university,
addressed the gathering of more
than 100 persons on the various
phases of modern rose gardening.
Labelling the rose as the 'univer-
sal' flower, faithfully following man
wherever he goes, DR.. Gamble told
the institute more than 10000 dif-
ferent, improved varieties of rose
have been developed by amatur and
commercial rose-growers since 1900,
each with an individual name and
different characteristics. However,
DR.. Gamble told the institute, less
than 4 per cent of these 10000 kinds
have survived in the common knowl-
edge.
DR.. Gamble declared there were
over 25,000,000 homes in the United
States boasting rose gardens, not
counting public and other parks.
The late Pope Plus XII had one
of the varieties of the Ophelia rose
named for him, DR.. Gamble men
toned to the institute.
Advises on Hybridization.
Prof. Paul w. Bowman of the
biology department of the university
addressed the session on the princi-
Piles of hybridization and advised
interested amateur rose-lovers on
the accepted manner of crossing
various types of roses to derive new
types.
Prof. Bowman gave detailed de-
scription of the flower kingdom, ex-
planning the principles of genetics
in the case of the rose subdivision.
He told the institute any one may
s-pollenate roses without great
store of scientific knowledge, but ad-
vised cursory study of genetics to
provide a background for expert
mentation and increase possibilities
of success.
Comdr. Walter S. Diehl concluded
the addresses before the session with
an account of the history of early
garden roses. Attributing the rise of
the rose as flower to fad of the
Empress Josephine of France,
Comdr. Diehl traced the history of
all well-known types OF roses now
popular, including the gallica, the
damask, the provence. the cabbage,
the tea, the china and many others.
The roses most used commercially
were itemized by Comdr. Diehl
along with list of those which
have lost or gained popularity since
their nativity.
Predicts Advance for Society.
Col. w. H. England of the Federal
Trade Commission, who presided
over the institute, predicted the
Potomac Rose Society would be the
outstanding group of its kind in a
years time due to the great interes.
displayed.
Twenty-one cooperating garden
clubs from Washington and nearby
sections make possible the annual
institute, which is administered by a
joint committee under the chair
manship OF Mrs. Whitman Cross.
Tonight the speakers will be Prof
Lawson E. Yocum Of the university,
w. j. Staalman and N. j. Hanson.
with L. l.. Powers, vice president of
the society, presiding.
The final session tomorrow night
Will be addressed by Mayor R. L.
Ruf1er Of Alexandria, who will pre-
side: j. M. Franklin, Comdr. Diehl.
Prof. w. R. Ballard Of the University
OF Maryland and w. H. Youngman
OF the Department. of Agriculture