THE ROSE 239 



promise were brought into their heredity, so that 

 they have traits that do not belong to any of the 

 original parents. 



Some of <these new ramblers have very large, 

 broad crimson prickles; others have long slender 

 ones set very closely together; still others are 

 quite without prickles, being as smooth as the 

 Banksias. 



In color the new ramblers vary through crim- 

 son, scarlet, and pink to snowy white. More- 

 over, some of them resemble the Japanese 

 primrose in color, and, when trained on a wall, 

 present such a unique appearance that they 

 would not be recognized as roses when viewed 

 from a little distance. These in particular are 

 especially long keepers. 



In explanation of what has just been said as 

 to the uncertainties of the precise lineage of 

 some of my roses, it may be added I have experi- 

 mented first and last with a very large num- 

 ber of species and varieties of both commonly 

 cultivated and wild ones, and I have not 

 found it expedient or of any special signifi- 

 cance to attempt to keep a precise record 

 of the hybridizations after they become very 

 complex. 



Yet, for a good many years, to be sure, I kept 

 accurate check on the various crosses. 



