QBARS - v19n4 The Cover

The Cover

Our cover this issue was selected partly to correct a previous error. On the cover for July 15, 1963, was a picture made from an unlabeled color transparency found with material for this particular Bulletin assembled by our late Editor, Rudolph Henny. The color transparency was unlabeled but there was a note on the folder, " R. fargesii from Dr. Phetteplace." There was not time to show the transparency to Dr. Phetteplace but at the moment it seemed probable that it might be of the R. fargesii selection which Dr. Phetteplace had named 'Barto Rose', although the picture itself did not seem to carry the purplish pink color characteristic of 'Barto Rose'.

While the engravings were being made Dr. Phetteplace provided information which was published at the time, but when he saw the cover picture he immediately stated that this was not 'Barto Rose', so it is as yet unidentified. However, we do have a picture later furnished by Dr. Phetteplace, of 'Barto Rose' on our front cover of this issue.

Dr. Phetteplace's statement is republished now to go with the picture.

"The R. fargesii for which the name 'Barto Rose' has been registered, is a plant originally selected from the Barto collection by the late Del James. It was obtained from him some fifteen years ago and has since grown at my summer home on the McKenzie River. It is now probably about thirty years old and is about nine feet tall. The leaf and flowers check out with the published descriptions of R. fargesii except that its color is much deeper than the usual and is described as purplish pink. There are numerous small spots on the corolla common to the species. In our woodland setting the color is most striking, especially as it blooms at the end of February when there is no conflict with other colors and the landscape still has its winter gloominess. Like R. fargesii generally, it blooms every year so heavily that the branches are weighted down and deadheading is essential to prevent injury from seed production.  Some years the trusses are injured if there are rather heavy frosts at blooming time, but generally they are unharmed. The plant itself is completely hardy in our climate."