HYBRID CLEMATIS. oLT 
C. lanuginosa:—Mon. Rinz, of Frankfort, who obtained C. Franco- 
furtensis from C. patens crossed with C. Viticella cwrulea :—Mon. Carré, 
of Saint-Julien, who introduced C. Gloire de St. Julien and C. Impéra- 
trice Eugénie, the result of crossing C. monstrosa plena with C. lanu- 
ginosa pallida :—Mon. Dauvesse, of Orleans, who raised C. Jeanne d’Arc 
from C. patens crossed with C. lanuginosa :—Mon. Modeste-Guérin, who 
sent out C. modesta, from C. lanuginosa crossed with C. Viticella, and C. 
purpurea hybrida :—Mon. Christen, of Versailles, who raised C. Etoile de 
Paris, C. La Géante, and C. Madame Furtado-Heine, the latter being a 
cross between C. Viticella rubra grandiflora and C. lanuginosa :—Mon. F. 
Morel, of Lyon Vaisse, who introduced C. Etoile Violette, C. Francois 
Morel, and C. Perle d’Azur, and has recently raised several new varieties 
of the Viticella type :—Mon. Baron Veillard, who obtained C. Madame 
Edouard André by crossing C. Jackmanni with C. patens, and C. Ma- 
dame Baron Veillard :—and Mon. Gegu of Angers, who raised C. La France 
by crossing C. lanuginosa with C. Jackmanni. 
Nearly all the varieties mentioned as having been raised in this 
country were obtained previous to 1880; since then the introduction of 
really sterling new varieties has been almost nil—in fact, successful 
hybridisation or cross-breeding of the Clematis appeared to be practically 
at a standstill for about twelve years, until it was revived by the intro- 
duction of my new race of hybrids, which were obtained by crossing C. 
coccinea, one of the small American species from Texas, with the large- 
flowered garden varieties, the former being the pollen parent. This cross 
had previously been tried in reverse order without any result. There were, 
I think, two reasons for this falling-off in the raising of improved varieties 
of hybrids. It was due mainly, I think, to the want of fresh blood on and 
with which to work. Hybridising and intercrossing amongst the large- 
flowered species and their hybrids—including not only an almost over- 
whelming number of varieties of nearly all shades of white, mauve, 
lavender, lilac, blue, purple, and violet, but embracing a continuous flower- 
ing season from May to October—had been carried on to such an extent 
that it became very difficult, if not impossible, to obtain anything really 
distinct. Secondly, the only too well known “dying off’? amongst the 
Clematis rendered cross-breeding very disappointing, as unless great care 
was taken in selecting robust parent plants which had not shown any 
signs of this ‘dying off,” failure and disappointment would most. 
probably ensue, either in the loss of the seed-bearing parent, or in 
handing down to the offspring the evil which had been engendered in 
the parent. 
The cross-breeder, before starting to work, should first decide upon 
what qualities or points he wishes to develop in the offspring, and see 
that at least one or both of the parents possess similar characters, and 
that, besides being of sound and robust constitution, they have flowers 
of good form and habit for their respective types; the latter is a 
point which has often struck me as being wanting, especially in 
some of the continental varieties, so many of them having long and 
narrow sepals, giving a decidedly weak and starry appearance to the 
flower. 
I have noticed from time to time the different opinions expressed, 
