420 



Thk Journal of Heredity 



There are few <(cncra where artificial 

 polH nation is easier to perform than with 

 the rose. Its flowers are large, its sta- 

 mens numerous, and its pistils easily 

 seen. Furthermore, natural fecundation 

 rarely takes j^lacc before the flowers are 

 open. 



Even if one does not know the floral 

 organs of the rose, he can quickly learn 

 to distinguish them. In an opened rose 

 you see first what is called the calyx, 

 formed of five leafy green pieces named 

 .sc]3als, which crown the fruit. Then the 

 petals come, more or less numerous, and 

 colored in different wa>'s. In the middle 

 of the flower arc the organs of genera- 

 tion: stamens formed of threads carry- 

 ing anthers, small yellow points con- 

 taining the jjollen — a sort of fecundating 

 dust. Finally, there are the styles in the 

 cente^ of the flower, sometimes united, 

 often merely crowded together. These 

 styles are terminated by a stigma, at 

 the top and run down to an ovule or a 

 single seed below. 



It is on this stigma that the pollen 

 falls and fecundates the ovules. I men- 

 tion these details merely for the benefit 

 of people who have never studied the 

 parts of plants. 



To make a cross pollination, one must 

 get a small pair of forceps, a number of 

 small camel 's-hair brushes such as are 

 used for water colors, and as many small 

 tin boxes as one wishes to make crosses. 

 The reason for this is that each rose 

 which is to be artificially ]jollinated ma\' 

 receive pollen only from the variety b\- 

 which it is desired to pollinate it. U 

 you used the same brush for a number 

 of jjollinations, you would not be sure 

 that grains of pollen did not remain on 

 it from one ajjplieation to the next. The 

 whole equij^nent costs very little. 



COLLECTING TIIIC POLLEN. 



When the roses begin to open, you 

 must begin to collect the pollen which 

 is to be used for fecundation. The pol- 

 len of each variety is jjut in a separate 

 box, on which its name is written. The 

 anthers (stamens) should be removed 

 with the forceps, or if necessary with 

 the fingers. The little box is ])laced in- 

 doors in ;i dr\-. ^li.-itlcd ])lace, and not 



closed tightly, in order to prevent 

 spoihng. 



The roses to be fecundated with for- 

 eign pollen should, as soon as they have 

 opened, be dej^rived of: — first all their 

 stamens, \vithout exception; second the 

 petals of the center of the flower, in 

 order that these may not interfere with 

 your own operation. When the stigmas 

 begin to lubricate themselves, or be- 

 come sticky, you bring in contact with 

 their surfaces, by means of the camel 's- 

 hair brush, the stamens which you have 

 previously gathered, letting them shed 

 their pollen. After that you should cover 

 the fecundated flower with a little bon- 

 net of paper, in order to keep off rain. 

 After the fruits have set, you must irri- 

 gate the plants in case of dry weather. 

 Do not be afraid of using liquid ferti- 

 lizer: one gram of phosphate of am- 

 monia to a quart of water, and an equal 

 quantity of saltpetre in the same amount 

 of water. 



All the fruits which were not artifi- 

 cially pollinated should be removed, and 

 those which were pollinated should be 

 allowed to ripen thoroughly before they 

 are picked. Before the first frost in 

 November is socn enough. 



Each variety which was fecundated 

 should be planted separately, in pots, 

 and pedigree culture carried through 

 two or three generations. 



To find out more rapidly the jjrobable 

 \'alue of certain roses as producers of 

 novelties, it is worth while fecundating 

 the same mother wnth a number of 

 varieties of good repute as pollenizcrs. 



It is very important to ])erfonn the 

 operation on the first flowers which 

 open, particularly in a cold climate 

 where spring is late, for it is absolutely 

 necessary that the seeds have time to 

 ripen before the frosts of fall. Amateurs 

 living in such climates will do well to 

 plant the roses which they wish to hy- 

 bridize in the warmest spots of the gar- 

 den. In England, amateurs and nurs- 

 erymen do not hesitate to cultivate their 

 breeding stock in pots, in a well-\-enti- 

 latcd, tem])erate greenhouse, in order to 

 hasten the |)eriod of flowering, whii"h is 

 always late in that country. During the 

 summer, the roses are planted in the 



