[From
A Rose Odyssey, by J. H. Nicolas, 1937, p. 132-134:] Lambertus J. Bobbink, now of Rutherford, N. J....Young lambertus strated to work in 1881 at the Tottenham Nurseries, where his father was general manager. He had charge of the perennial department at seventeen. He perfected his horticultural training in various European nurseries, spending three years in Germany, two and a half years in France, and three years in England. He saw then an advertisement in a trade paper for a salesman to go to America for a group of eighty-six Dutch nurserymen and he won that position. He sailed to America in 1895...In those days very little ornamental stock was propagated and grown in America. He ruturned to Holland and resigned. He purchased the stock outright and returned to America with the consignment. He bought a few acres of land in Rutherford, N.J., and offered his stock for sale. He had been in this business about three years, importing, selling and travelling back and forth to Europe, when F. L. Atkins....then employed by the Pitcher and manda Nursery firm, visiteed him one day. ...the partnership of Bobbink and Atkins was formed in 1899. ...Bobbink was told that Hybrid Tea roses could not be grown in America, but this, he believed, was because nurserymen were trying to use the same understocks (R. canina, manetti, la grifferaie) as were currenmt in Europe....Bobbink and Atkins were the first successful field rose growers in America...they decided on the true Rosa multiflora from Japan....
[From the
American Rose Annual 1945, pp. 225-226:] Bobbink & Atkins Company, East Rutherford, New Jersey.
[From the American Rose Annual 1951, photo and text opposite page 8:] Lambertus C. Bobbink (1886-1950). Nationally known Nurseryman and Rosarian. Came to the United States from The Netherlands, 1895, and established with Frederick L. Atkins the firm of Bobbink & Atkins, 1898. Awarded the American Rose Society Gold Honor Medal for Achievement and Service to the Rose, 1945.
