86 CULTURE OP THE ROSE. 



and flowers of the Moss Rose, or at least an approximation 

 to them ; and as these hybrids often bear seed freely, by 

 repeating the process with them, the at present apparent 

 remote chance of getting a climbing Moss Rose may be 

 brought very near. 



"I mention the union of the Moss and Ayrshire roses by 

 way of illustration, and merely to point out to the amateur 

 how extensive and how interesting a field of operations is 

 open in this way. I ought^ to give a fact that has occurred 

 in my own experience, which will tell better with the 

 sceptical than a thousand anticipations. About four years 

 since, in a pan of seedling Moss roses was one with a 

 most peculiar habit, even when very young: this has since 

 proved a hybrid rose, partaking much more of the Scotch 

 Rose than of any other, and, till the plant arrived at full 

 growth, I thought it a Scotch rose, the seed of which had 

 by accident been mixed with that of the Moss Rose, al- 

 though I had taken extreme care. To my surprise, it has 

 since proved a perfect hybrid, having the sepals and the 

 fruit of the Provence Rose, with the spiny and dwarf habit 

 of the Scotch Rose: it bears abundance of hips, which are 

 all abortive.* The difference in the fruit of the Moss and 

 Provence roses and that of the Scotch is vei-y remark- 

 able, and this it was which drew my particular attention 



* " It is more than probable, that, if the flowers of this rose were fertil- 

 ized with those of the single Moss Rose, they would produce seed from 

 which some curious hybrid Moss roses might be expected." 



