112 HORTICULTURAL SOCIETY OF NEW YORK. 



reign so far as form, finish, growth and freedom are concerned, and yet 

 unceasing eflfort has been made to procure a duplicate tea variety in either 

 yellow or red. In the efifort to breed such a variety we have been made the 

 possessors of some fine roses, but we are still seeking for the red and yelloiv 

 Mermets ; and one day, I feel sure, a scarlet tea rose with the good qualities 

 of Bridesmaid is destined to appear, and that before many years, I verily 

 believe. 



It has been my pleasure to see several thousand seedling roses peep 

 through the soil from seed fertilized and ripened on our place, but out of 

 this whole quantity the varieties selected as of permanent value number less 

 than two dozen, and these are to have still further tests ; a few have made 

 their entry into commerce and have strong points of excellence. 



It is quite a simple operarion to fertilize a rose, and many are inclined 

 to think this the larger part of the work ; but in my own experience the 

 thorough ripening of the seed is the difficult part of the task — maturing the 

 seed so that the germination shall produce a perfectly healthy plant. I am 

 inclined to the belief that imperfect germination of immature seed produces 

 sickly or delicate plants, which shows in their liability to mildew, black-spot 

 and kindred maladies — not that it is an hereditary trait, as many suppose and 

 as is generally claimed ; but I am led to believe that the unripeness of the 

 seed entails vital defects upon the seedlings. 



The ease with which the H. T. varieties set their pods has led hybridizers 

 of the rose to use them largely, being almost sure of quick results so far as 

 setting seed pods is concerned. The most noted acquisitions to this class 

 have been the magnificent varieties of La France, Kaiserine Augusta Victoria, 

 President Carnot, Baldwin, Prince of Bulgaria, Liberty, Mme. Jules Grolez 

 and Mme. C. Testout. 



Out of a large number of Liberty-bred seedlings the tendency is to 

 duplicate the parent even when pollinated with so double a variety as 

 Marquis Litta, the exception being, however, in two or three of the progeny 

 of this celebrated rose crossed with Grus an Teplitz. 



No one need feel discouraged, however, for through persistent effort on 

 tiie part of many hybridizers some most excellent varieties are being given 

 to commerce, none more marked, perhaps, than the variety Soleil d'Or, raised 

 by M. Pernet, of Lyons; W. C. Egan is a most beautiful new climber origi- 

 nating with Mr. Jackson Dawson. I mention these two varieties to illustrate 

 the point that results are being obtained here and there by persistent, 

 enthusiastic workers. 



Carnations — In the effort to improve the winter-flowering carnation 

 through cross-fertilization the results have been very gratifying; it is safe to 

 say that fully a thousand florists of the United States have made an effort 

 in this line, with the result that thousands of seedling carnations have been 

 raised in the past few years ; the writer knows of one gentleman who annually 

 germinates from six to eight thousand seedlings. Besides the large operators 

 in this line, nearly every grower of carnations is testing his own seedlings, 

 trying to demonstrate the hidden excellences which he is sure are only waiting 

 development ; in consequence, a marked advance in the quality, color and size 

 of the carnation is being secured. 



