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Decorative Roses

The best bloomers among the best all-round roses will give very much better results than the so-called decorative roses, which have no form and which cannot be used at all for cut flower purposes. As an example of this, the Hybrid Tea, Bouche, gives as much bloom as any other light-colored rose and is valuable for either purpose.

There are a few other attractive roses which give a fair amount of bloom and are odd in their color, such as Comtesse du Cayla, and these are included in the other sections. The best decorative rose of all is Gruss an Teplitz on account of its wonderful amount of bloom. The best of the Hybrid Teas in the other main colors are, Bouche, under the light; Lady Ursula, under the pinks; and Chrissie Mac- Kellar under the yellows. These are very much to be preferred for ordinary decorative purposes.

For the edging of a bed, Baby Ramblers are most attractive, and any of the Polyanthas will do well for garden decoration; while the Rugosas and Irish Singles are good for hedges and massing.

UNFORTUNATELY there is not at this time any hardy climbing rose which blooms through spring, summer and autumn with great reliability. The so-called hardy ever-blooming climbers have been tested without success. The ones which are absolutely hardy bloom mainly in the spring, and those which bloom throughout the season need the most careful protection in the Middle Atlantic States. In the lists which follow only the most dependable varieties of climbers are included.

To make the subject as clear as possible, the various climbers are divided into two classes; this is an arbitrary division and not at all in accordance with the ordinary manner of classification.

In the first division are included Climbing Hybrid Teas and some other climbers whose blooms have the general shape and size of the Hybrid Tea rose.

Hybrid Tea climbers are mostly, as has been explained heretofore, sports from Hybrid Tea roses. They do not bloom as profusely as the Hybrid Teas, nor as constantly. They may be depended upon to give some blooms in the spring, and a few other blooms mainly in the autumn, although these are so