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Show Ijj. p T-i 7 -tit Tp T.he Royal Irish Nurseries, of Belfast, Ireland B f The Home ot the irisn nose , M.w.aa k (There is a charming romance about Ireland thnt always sets the heart bounding. Then the spontaneity of Genuine Gen-uine Irish wit has a sparkle to it that B only adds to the cliann of the romance that, ia nBsociated With the " Auld Sod.'.' Hf From the time the steamer pushes its e nose through the "rourh seas near the Hff southeast coast of Ireland and brings to B view the distant hills, the romantic has K n largo place in even the most prosaic. B'i Tlio old stone tower outlooks, said to H'f have been built by the Danes, and the H eternal green of hill and vale, all along B! the south coast of Irolaml. attract. Then Hff there is a jingling charm about the very words, Killarney, Galway, Dublin, Bd-Hff-i Yf fast, etc. Wliilc of Great Britain's HL? noted trio the Rose, the Thistle and the HF Shamrock Ireland national emblem is H. the Shamrock, vet the north of Ireland country, outside of the famous country :H surrounding Lyons, France, is the home mmm of somo of the most noted rose growers H ; and rose hybridists in the world. Many IHf, . of the favorite roses of both the nma- IB, tear and professional rosarions of the mmW . United States were born in tliis north IH ' of Ireland country. No firm in this IH' great rose country has done nioro for mm improvement f the rose than tlie firm of Messrs. Hugh Dickson. Royal Nur-Hf Nur-Hf Beries, Belfast, established in "the year mb ISG8, by the lato Mr. Hugh Dickson. When Mr. Dickson, whoso early train-Hr- ihg was received under that noted horti- cultnrist, Peter Lnwspn, of Edinburgh. mmMmr Scotland, established his own business, rhe decided, to specialize in roses. Methods Meth-ods of cultivation and propagation were then so totally different from those of h today as to seem almost prehistoric in thcset days of lightning prorogation, m For instance, the Rose Nursery was Hj then com-oscd for the most, unrt of H- 3tool grounds, where t lie growing shoots iE were layered. This meant at least a . second year's cultivation, after the H? Inyer was removed, before the nlants HHt were fit. for sale. Either this plan or RE . the still more uncortaiii method of ,k propagation bv cuttings inserted in the sjtK open "-round. Tn both cases the process BH, of reproduction wns slow, and, in the Bwjf case of new varieties, a TininfiUly nro- IqHK longed introduction to ponula'itv. The JH best roses arc now grafted on Manet tii 'MWl. or seedling brier vstock roots, but the PH' only use of stocks at the time Mr. 'HB' Dickson commenced his work was as !Hj standards, and thoy were the popular HL . mothod of culture in the up-to-date 'K gardens of that day. The Standard or MmW) tree rose has never been nopular in the 'PH United States, especially on the Pa- IBV cific coast. i Propagating Now Eoses. ,The introduction of the Manottii stock from Italy gave the first new note to rose propagation, and Mr. Hugh Dickson, when returning to Ireland, introduced in-troduced this stock to his country and started on a large scale to propagate new roses, boldlv weeding out many varieties whose defects appeared to him to far outweigh their usefulness. Mr. Dickson was the first to use the 'codling brier as a dwarf stock, in an experiment trial by him to combat that dread disease of tho lovely Marechal Neil rose, canker, which threatened nf thnt time to injure this variety bo.yond hope. The success attending this experiment ex-periment induced Mr. Dickson to try man3- other varieties of roses on the same stock, with results at once most favorable and rar-reaching. Thousands of Roso Plants. In JSSO the number of roses grown annually at Belfast was about 30,000. When this is compared with the present annual output tho mind gets an idea of the extent of the present rose gardens gar-dens and marvels at the demand that enables this one firm to dispose of over 300.000 rose plants each year. No local Irish trade could absorb such a quantity, quan-tity, and it will bo no surprise to be told Mutt there is not a country in the civilized world to which these famous Irish rose gardens have not, contributed nf their stock. Indeed, in many lands which it would require some stretch of the imagination to call civilized, thcs& famous Irish roses are 'a wonder and dolight to the native population. Perhaps the greatcrt interest at present pres-ent centers in tho new roS" under trial at these famous nurseries. 'Some fourteen four-teen or fifteen venrs ago fie present partners. Mr, Alexander Dickson and Mr. Hugh Dickson, sons of the founder, .decided to commence hybridising with n view to improving the roses then in commerce, and in order that this might, be done in a thorough and scientific manner, orocted a couple of large glass structures to this end. They decided on one or two lines of experiment and after one or two years of. very careful and painstaking work, found out, to use their own words, "First, several. things which it was evidently impossible to accomplish. Second, that the result of crossing one rose of distinct habit, form and color witli another variety equally decided in another direction, generally produced a rose totally different from what might have reasonably been expected. ex-pected. After careful consideration they decided to amend their method of cross ing. with a view to finding out which parent gave the most distinct characteristics charac-teristics to its progeny, and how far it was possible to inbreed, by first grossing gross-ing this progeny on its parents, male and female, and again to cross the resulting' re-sulting' seedlings with the original first cross. This was a tedious process and the results obtained were in some cases curious, in some disappointing, and in some, it must be confessed, totally impossible im-possible of explanation. One general tendency, however, was noted, i. e., "When, tho seedling roses were carefully selected, a distinct improvement in habit hab-it of growth and form of flower, and a general all round tendency to an improved im-proved type, resulted. Breeding to Color. The difficulty, howevor, of breeding to color has been tho one which has given the most trouble. The Messrs. Dickson set themselves to produce a race of strong, free growhig, free blooming bloom-ing and pcrpotual flowering hybrid tea roses, of that rich crimson scarlet color which is at once the aim and tho despair des-pair of the rose hybridist. One noted rose hybridist told me ho had toiled for years, and grown over 20000 seedling roses, before he produced a crimson lvybrid tea rose. But the Messrs. Dickson Dick-son have no reason to complain of their success in this direction, for thoir two seedlings. Hugh Dickson and .1. B. Clarke, have been welcomed by roso growers tho world over, Hugh Dickson, especially, being tho finest of all crimson crim-son or scarlet hybrid tea roses lor general gen-eral garden planting, I notice that tho magnificent crimson hybrid tea rose, which thoy showed at tho National Rose society's show at Luton in .11)09, and for which they received re-ceived a gold medal, named "Leslie Holland," is not going to bo on the market for .mother year. It -is pretty sure that tho growers feel that in this roso thoy have produced tho typical crimson roso, of pure hybrid tea habit and frcodom of bloom, and aro anticipating antici-pating a great sale for it. Messrs. Hugh Dickson had the unique distinction of winning, in 1900, four gold medals of the National Rose society so-ciety for seedling roses. Two of these at the London show. July 2, 1909, where, although over fifty distinct seedlings were shown, only two gold medals were awarded. One of these, "Miss Cynthia Fordo," is already in commerce. I Cannot Can-not speak as well of this rose as the grower or many other noted rosarians. It is not a hotter color than "Lady Ashtown," and 1 do not think it will make a better bedder.' Another, "Lady Pirric," was sent out in June of this year, and is a beautiful combination of red, copper and saffron vollow. Tliis is n strikingly beautiful boddor rose. It is difficult, to describe the color, although al-though its distinctness at onco attracts attention. It is a deep, coppery, reddish red-dish salmon on tho outside of tho petals, pet-als, with a lighter shade of apricot, flushed fawn on the inside. It. is what would bo called a-littlo "thin." It will be one of the most popular and cor-tainly cor-tainly tho most attractive fancy yellow bedder rose of receut introduction. The other two, "Leslie Holland," crimson, and "Countess of Shaftesbury," a del- icato pdnk and of fine form and exquisite ex-quisite texture, aro, as I have said, to be held over for anothor year. The "Countess of Shaftesbury" is much like a cross bctweon "Dr. J. Campbell Hall" and "Killaruey" in color. If it proves to not mildew, as does Killaruoy, this new pink rose will bo a splendid addition to tho exhibition and bedding roses of this class. I have marked it on my note book as a good rose and worthy of trial. But of the four roses montibned decidedly tho best one is "Leslie Holland," which is also a gold medal rose. It is a deep, geranium red, shaded blackish crimson. Tho growth is not too vigorous the fatal defect of so manv of the newer hybrid tea r o s cs but 'is of good growth nnd con- stitution. Tho flower is full and large j but not so heavy as "William Shean and roses of that typo. This is great gain, for the roses will open, oven vhcn there is not such bright sunshine, somotlnng William Shcan will not do. It lasts well, both on the bush nnd as a cut flower. All in all, T believe that "Leslie "Les-lie Holland" wilL make one of the best exhibition hvbrid tea roses wo have. It ought to be in every collection. While both "Leslio Holland" and "Countess of Shaftesbury" were marked to be jCJJJIAiT r y tf.4urnn i Bag I held over for ono year this spring, I have no doubt tfiey will both bo on the market this fall. And fall planting is decidedly tho right thing for tho Pacific Pa-cific coast, if not for almost all other parts of the United States. Hybridization of Roses. The history of successful hybridization hybridiza-tion of roses may be 6aid to be a history his-tory of failures." Of the thousands of seo'dlings raised by tho Dicksons, and at tho present timo thej- havo ovor 50,-000 50,-000 under trial, only a very small percentage per-centage will ovor reach v-tho public. When it is considered that Messrs. Dickson have germinated this year over -1000 seedlings, representing ovor 2000 crosses, of which a careful tabu- i latcd record is kept; every seed in a single hip being sown singly, in a small' pot spocifieally manufactured for the purpose; that each of these seodliugB is grown under glaBs for a soasont then budded on Boedling or cutting brier in the open ground and carefully tested under local climatic conditions sometimes some-times for as many as eight 3'oars before being either finally burned or placed on tho markotf the stupendous uaturo of this work will bo apparent. Seventeen New Roses. Tho total number of new roses sent out by Messrs. Dickson is seventeen varioties, so that it will bo seen that this works out a little more than one rose each year since tho work of hybridization hybrid-ization has been in operation. It is a difficult matter to draw a rose hybridist hy-bridist ns to tho percentago of his seedlings, ho probably deeming that the information which has cost him so much to acquire might easily put a trade competitor on the royal road to success without the time and expense of a novitinto. Messrs. Dickson, how over, inform mo that for the most part tho information, if given without explanation ex-planation of tho various crosses, would to the general public be very meaningless. meaning-less. Ono or two facts, though, about, somo of these seedlings might .bo generally gen-erally interesting. Mr. Diekson informs mo that "nugh Dickson" is a second sedling from "Gruss an Teplitz," and that "J. R. Clark" is a third seedling from the sanic variety. The whole sub.icct of rose hybridization hybridiza-tion is a most fascinating one. It is now goneralb' known that there must bo a "seed parent" rose, created by repeated or one crossing, as the basis for all new or strikingly distinct roses. This "seed parent" is the rose hybridist's hybrid-ist's carefullj guarded secret. A writer, telling of a visit to tho noted rose gardens of Parnet-Dur lor, Lyons, Franco, writes: "But among all these wonders and delights, with whoso flowers my hands were so full thnt note-making became a difficulty, that which T treasured most highly was a somewhat loose-potaled loose-potaled flower of j-cllow orange and flame pink. I cspiod it growing out. ol the open foof of a little forcing house, and its color was so vivid and so unusual un-usual that I asked what it could possibly pos-sibly be, as I was certain it was a rose T had never seen before. M. Pcrnet, with his usual eourtoous "Kindness, promptb' 'gathered ma a blossom, .adding, .add-ing, in answer to my eager inquiries, that he did not sell it 'it was not sufficiently rustne.' And then came tho exciting announcement that this rose was the pollen parent of both Solicl d 'Or and Lyon roso, the famous child of that original and secret cross between Persian yellow and a hybrid tea, which resulted in the Pornotiana family. As I held the strangoly beautiful beauti-ful and fragrant flower in my hand, the first of a new race, T no longer wondered won-dered that so precious a plant was not distributed to tho world at large." But this need not discourage the amateur ama-teur hybridist, for tho clement of chance' enters largely into the mattor, and it. is to one of theso chances that the now rose, "Mrs. Stewart Clark," owes its existence. This is the way it came about. Tho tea rose, "Rubrems," wns among others under cxporiment na; a seed parent, and it dovelopcd a IB flower when tho only pollen available IjKi was from the variety "Tom Wood." IVtB This pollen was used, without any pre- R& conceived idea of consideration of the IR result, which was tho n5w rose, "Mis. IEh Stewart Clark," it being more nearly ' intermediate between the parents, Mr. H1 Dickson states, than any other cross wUk of which ho has any note.. The effort IHES to retain in a distinct sense, and, if wK possible, in added volume, the delight- Mr ' ful perfume of the tea nose in tho h"- IBf' hrid tea crosses is the effort of rose hybridists. This is exceedingly dosir- K able for so muny novelties or recent Hf ! years are totally devoid of porfuiuo, IHk; thereby discounting their beauty 1 and By 1 usefulness. IHP The efforts of Messrs. Dickson in tins ID' direction have had somo very surprising results, in that it has in some of their ' seedlings introduced perfumes hither- t BfN to unknown among roses. For instnnco the rose, "Mrs. James Craig," has, in HI' f a most pronounced degree, tho distinct' Hra. i and delightful perfume of the ordinary mBtk field primrose, nnd a .crimson seedling Pfg' ; of last year's, batch as yet unnamed if . has tho unique scent, distinct and Hfif easily recognized, of ripo raspberries. Anothor unnamed seedling, of deep saf- from yellow color, has a strong per- IB fumo 6f ripe oranges. ' IWBf i Not a Long List. MKffi Tho list of .seedling roses born in the MjB Royal Irish Gardens is not a long one Jjg but for qualiiy stands well to the front. ffK Among the number are Hugh Dickson, jra J. B. Clark, Dorothy, II. Armytage 5 Mooro, a deep rose pink, edged silvery Sfflg pink; Mrs. James Craig, Simplicity, ono Kg of the most beautiful pure white single Wg roses in the world; Lady Pirrie, Conn- l tcss of Shaftesbury and my favorite of ffig all the roses introduced yet by this Hgj firm. Leslie Holland. The list com- jig prises eight gold medal roses. Sk Tho general stock of roses is, as I lHj havo stated, over .'100,000 plants grown gKj in the open ground, and on new land recently acquired. This insures hardi- mM ness and strength of constitution, with-out with-out which the best and most beautiful of roses arc worthless. IK To see a stretch of ton to twelve BEs' acres of strong and vigorous roso bushes IS& such an these I have named, in full llr bloom is a sight not to be easilv for- gotten. And when, in addition to the By ordinary varieties of commerce, all tho jr novelties of the European continent, BE America, and Australia are to be seen Hfi? under trial, together with innumerable mm. seedlings, some of them of unique IK beautj- and sterling merit, showing end- S less variety and novelty of color and R form, the sight makes a real "roso K crank" forget his meals. It is not SB: easy to estimate nor describe the wealth EK of charming beauty, culture and- rc jfi finement that ton acres of roses, in full jw bloom, represent to a rose enthusiast. K In future articles I will more fully j describe and differentiate some of the to very latest roses Many are of charm- WE ing beauty, some are only commonplace, :H and one cannot toll by tho catalogue S descriptions nlwaj's which roso is the W& best. Also there are general rules for H culture, including planting and prun- Uro, ing, thatbelong to the different roses. IjBSI It is certain that much difference must JMh be observed in all these for some of tho Wvr now roses. ; ffia |