QBARS - v16n2 Hybrids at Laurelwood Gardens

Hybrids at Laurelwood Gardens
J. F. Knippenberg, Pines Lake, Wayne, N.J.

R. 'La Bar's White'
Fig. 20.  A selected R. 'La Bar's White'
Knippenberg photo

I am enclosing a recording of some interesting bloom here last Spring. The seed was collected from a block of 'La Bar's White' in Stroudsburg, Pa., fall of 1953. Open pollinated, we grew on five thousand seedlings, planted on the hill pictured when two years old (Fig. 20). As they grew, it was apparent many were hybrid differing in leaf from the familiar species. Excitement mounted last winter when such a quantity of buds appeared. Then the temperature dropped to -16° F for more than ten days straight and though few ironclads bloomed last Spring above the snowline, this hill turned out every truss perfect as you can see. As it appears in the print about 10% of these seedlings came white. The enclosed close ups show the finest so far. Plant habit was good and truss stood out above all others for size and purity of white. We took a few cuttings, moved the plant as well as all the whites on the hill but alas this special white set no buds for this Spring.