By R. T. Hamilton, Heidelberg, Vie.
Imagine for a moment that you intend to do what I
have advocated on many occasions - you are going to
raise a few roses from seed. The greatest thrill in
rose-growing (or in the growing of many other
subjects) is found in the endeavour to improve on
the varieties already in cultivation. Now,
presuming that you have some seeds up (the varieties
were cross pollinated in November. Seeds planted in
June begin to germinate in August), and now, at the
end of September the first tiny bud appears on a
plant only a few inches tall. This tiny bud will
unfold its petals at about the end of October, or in
November, and it will give us some idea of the
colour, number of petals, and presence or absence of
fragrance. At this stage, we will have no idea of
the vigour or lack of it that the plant will
eventually have, nor of the length or stiffness of
the stem. These factors, and the over-all factor of
general all-round attractiveness, can only be found
out after prolonged testing over several years.
It would never do to wait for our tiny plant to
become a full-sized bush. We must hurry things up by
budding small wood-buds or “eyes” of the newcomer on
to specially prepared stocks. Some degree of
selection must be undertaken at the first flowering
stage so that only those which have some promise
shall be persevered with. If the tiny first flower
has less than sixteen or eighteen petals, it is
never likely to be very double, and unless one likes
single or semi-double blooms, or it has some
outstanding characteristic, such as an unusual or
very vivid colour, it may be discarded to make room
for something showing more promise. If the first
flower shows twenty-five or thirty petals, it may
well build up to a flower of thirty-five or more
when a large plant is obtained.
When we get a “budded” plant well started, what
qualities are we going to look for? To many people a
rose bloom is a rose, and that is the beginning and
the end of it. But the more discriminating will want
to know what sort of a plant the bloom comes on.
Does it come as the only good bloom of the season on
a poor emaciated plant, or does it come as one of
lots of good blooms on a vigorous, balanced,
well-foliaged plant?
Notwithstanding, we grow roses for the beauty of the
bloom. No matter how beautiful the foliage, a
variety must bloom to find a place in our gardens.
So we shall consider the desirable qualities of a
rose bloom first. The highest type of bloom is one
that has a number of petals, gracefully and
symmetrically arranged around a well-formed centre.
While a few people like loose-petaled and single
roses, our nurserymen, and executive members of the
N.R.S. of Victoria report that nineteen out of
twenty enquirers asking for a list of roses,
stipulate “good double roses that won’t open too
quickly”. It seems, then, that the first ideal we
strive for is plenty of petals.
Now - colour. Some people like cream roses - some
won’t look at them. Some like red - some yellow -
some flame and so on. Since there is so much
divergence of opinion regarding colour, I don’t
think it matters what colour your new seedling is,
so long as the colour is clear, bright and unfading.
What about fragrance? There is some difference of
opinion as to whether fragrance is essential. We are
dependent for our appreciation of things beautiful
(or otherwise) on our five senses - sight, smell,
taste, hearing and touch. Obviously the last three
factors do not come into the present discussion,
leaving sight and smell. It seems to me that those
who glory in the sight of a good bloom and who do
not appreciate the perfume are getting just one half
of the possible pleasure, since they are using one
instead of the two senses that they might be using.
Yes - fragrance, while not absolutely essential, is
a highly desirable attribute.
Now we shall consider the type of plant which bears
our many-petaled, colourful, fragrant bloom. It must
first of all be a well-shaped, vigorous plant, say,
after the style of Editor McFarland. Very tall,
ungainly growers like Charles Mallerin, are not
ideal, nor are very dwarf growers like Anne or
Josephine Bruce. (The writer is getting seeds
through the ground now of a cross between Charles
Mallerin and Josephine Bruce, in the hope that he
might get a good red flower on a bush midway between
the two in growth). The foliage must be ample in
size, and well placed upon the stem. In some
varieties, for example, President Herbert Hoover and
Texas Centennial, the top leaf on the stem is rather
too far beneath the bloom, thus giving a somewhat
naked effect to an arrangement. In other varieties,
the foliage is too small, or there may be too much
space between each pair of leaves.
The stem on which the bloom is held must be of
adequate length and must definitely be firm and
strong enough to hold the bloom erect. Fortunately
most of our modern varieties have good erect stems.
Some, however, are rather short and some complaint
has been made against Crimson Glory on this score.
While the short stemmed varieties may look well in
the garden, they are a big handicap for a show
arrangement, or for the house.
Our new variety must be reasonably free of the two
diseases that worry us most in Australia - mildew
and black spot. Some varieties are more prone to
either or both of these diseases than others. If the
new variety is only so susceptible to these diseases
that they can be readily controlled, then that is
all that one can expect.
If your new variety measures up to the standards set
out above, you have a good one. The difficulty lies
not in raising a new variety, but in raising a good
new variety.
Even with a good variety, you still have to make it
known. The selection of a suitable name, plus the
exhibiting of it at the shows and monthly meetings,
may soon create a demand for it. On the other hand,
many a good rose, particularly amongst those from
overseas, may come without a flourish of trumpets,
and may be overlooked. So your’ job is to see that
it is not overlooked, by exhibiting it on every
possible occasion.
There is one more little point I would like to
stress, and that is the importance of commencing
seed raising early in life. It may take six, seven
or eight years from the cross fertilisation, through
the testing period - working up a stock to the time
when the variety goes on to the market. Life is so
short.
I wish I were twenty again!
