Prize Roses
Now that the rose-shows are over and the great trans- planting month has got into its stride, it may be of some ' service to underline the names of a rose or two that have Won some special distinction. It happens that a trio at any
• rate of the winners of prizes or distinctions are among the most profuse flowerers ; they deserve marks from the gardener for quantity as well as the judge for quality. Colonel Sharrium Crawford among the reds, Dame Edith Helen among the Pinks, and Julien Potin among the yellower yellows. Some People object to the solidity of the Dame and have been , heard to say that she has the nature of the old cabbage rose. In scent she certainly has. Some complain that the flowers of Julien Potin become small and unimportant if the weather is contrary. Against the Colonel no severe criticism has reached my ears at any rate, He is picked out by a writer in the Organ of the County Gentleman's Association as the Peer of those established favourites Etoile de Hollande (perhap's the most popular of all roses and the sweetest in scent) and General McArthur, who is the leading veteran, the very doyen of sweet red roses, and he bears his great antiquity like a flower. The admirer of the Colonel asperses Frau Karl bruschki as heavy and solid ; and of course it is without fragrance. Yet surely it is almost the most perfect in form (a real " fourpoint " rose) and very pure white. The war- . time synonym of Snow Queen has happily very nearly vanished. Roses have nothing to 'do with international rela- tionships. A single rose that has won, many prizes for • decorative value has been the latest Poulsen, known as Karen. It does not flower so freely—in my experience—as Else or as Kirstcn, but the red colour is delightfully pure and the young flowers' are incomparable. We must of course select our roses either for the individual flower or the massed effect. The freest bloomer at the moment, in one great rose garden at any rate, is Christine, a lovely yellow rose:
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