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Madame Jules Bouche (Picture taken in the fall note)

Picture taken in the fall; note the strong, erect and bushy growth and great amount of foliage even at the base of the plant FIG. 15 OPHELIA Growth not of the best, but giving long stems for cut flower purposes there have been included all which have come up to a certain standard. Those excluded have not proved successful after a test in which all had the same chance.

During the fall of 1914, when the list of the sixteen best all-round varieties was selected, the roses included were by all odds the best sixteen varieties for general cultivation. Since that time, however, the situation has greatly changed owing to the number of new roses introduced. Not only have many Hybrid Teas been brought out, but the new race of Pernetianas has further complicated the problem.

In these two years during which all these domestic and foreign roses have been put on the market it has been very difficult to make comprehensive tests as to the value of each new introduction; nevertheless every new rose has been or is on trial, and information from other sections of the country carefully considered. Furthermore, it was most important to try as many roses as possible on different stocks, and to this end careful experiments were made to learn the best stock for each variety. In many cases the Multiflora has greatly improved certain roses; in many others there is little difference between Briar and Multiflora, while in a few instances the Briar is the best. Another valuable phase of the work has been the cultivating of weak growers and poor bloomers in special beds; and here again no absolute rule was discovered, but it was proved that by the use of such beds remarkable results could be obtained in certain cases. Where of value, special stocks and beds are recommended hereafter.

There has been a great deal of kindly criticism and comment regarding the old sixteen, much of which is strictly to the point, and many of the suggestions received have been very valuable. It is therefore better to give a list of the forty-eight roses which have stood out as the best instead of making an arbitrary list of sixteen roses. In following out this scheme, twelve roses have been selected in the lighter shades, twelve in the pink, twelve in the red, and twelve in the yellow, the latter including the orange and copper colorings. It will be appreciated that the roses given under each main color will, to some extent, overlap from one section to the other; the darkest color under the lighter section will approach the lightest color under the darker section. By placing twelve roses in each list there will be little doubt that the best are included, and from the careful descriptions given the reader will be able to secure the roses most suited to his needs.

It will be noted that the original first sixteen have been displaced in some cases by other roses. This is not because they have not lived up to their reputa- OPHELIA tion, as they have continued to do as well as they did formerly, but newer roses brought out and tested during the past few years have been improvements over them.

No Hybrid Perpetuals are included in the list of the forty-eight best garden roses because the Hybrid Teas, where they may be grown, are far superior. As an illustration of this, Frau Karl Druschki, tested near Philadelphia by Dr. Huey with two exceptionally fine plants, gave an average of thirty-eight blooms during 1916, and the blooming season was over in July. In very damp seasons Druschki will give scattering blooms in the early fall. Madame Jules Bouche gives more blooms than Druschki throughout the season, with better perfume, and is therefore considered of more value than Druschki except in the North.