792 president's address. 



some fine results. Both he and Mr, J. H. Horton have raised 

 good Chrysanthemums which have been appro\'ed in England. 

 Mr. Kerslake and Mr. W. M. Butterworth have both raised some 

 fine Dahlias, and Mr. H. J. Carter has raised some very good 

 Carnations. 



A considerable number of florists' flowers, such as Roses, 

 Dahlias, Carnations, Pansies, Gladioli, Hippeastrums, &c., have 

 been raised by various horticulturists of this State, but I have 

 no details of their work, nor do I even know, in most cases, 

 whether they were crosses or varieties. 



Let me invite your attention to the beautiful water-colour 

 drawings of a fine series of Hibiscus raised at the Sydney Botanic 

 Gardens by Mr. George Harwood. They are true hybrids, in 

 my opinion, although there is some doubt at present as to whether 

 the parents are distinct species or only extreme forms of the 

 variable H. rosa-sinensis. 



The drawings show five seedlings, the parents being //. rosa- 

 sinensis. var. General Courtegis (pollen-bearer), and H. sp. (per- 

 haps a form of fi. rosa-sinensis) from the South Sea Islands 

 (seed-bearer). Only one fruit has been produced from the seed- 

 bearing plant during the fifteen years it has been under cultiva- 

 tion in this State. 



The flesh-pink flower has been deservedly admired, both for the 

 delicate colour of its petals and for the size of its flowers. It 

 flowers freely in the Sydney Botanic Gardens, is well worth}'- of 

 a name, and I have much pleasure in calling it " George Harwood," 

 after its raiser. 



I understand that the late Mr. R. D. Fitzgerald did some work 

 with the cross-fertilization of Hibiscus, Abutilori, &c., but I have 

 not been able to learn any particulars of his results. 



Such is a cursory account of what has been done in hybridi- 

 sation or cross-fertilisation by workers in this State, often under 

 great disadvantages, and I hope that a mere recapitulation of it 

 will incite others to further enterprise. 



