ROSE 



ROSE 



1573 



but the habit was half-scandent instead of prostrate. 

 The first to bloom was single, delicate rose with a nearly 

 white center, a rampant grower, attaining 6-8 feet in a 

 season; foliage fine, somewhat resembling the Bour- 

 bons, but also retaining the gloss of M. Wichuraiana. 

 So far it has produced no seeds. Another was of medium 

 growth, with bright shiny leaves and clusters of double 

 purplish pink flowers, fading to lilac. The best of the 

 lot has been named W. C. Egan, and received the silver 

 medal of the Massachusetts Horticultural Society in 

 189(5. This is, without doubt, one of the finest hybrids 

 of li. Wichitraiana at present. The flowers are in 

 large clusters and very double, of a delicate flesh color, 

 resembling Souvenir de la Malmaison almost exactly, 

 but somewhat smaller; the foliage is also like Malmai- 

 son but brighter. It is perfectly hardy in the nursery 

 and elsewhere without protection. 



Next JR. WicJuiraiana was fertilized with pollen 

 from JR. setigera, and while decided crosses were ob- 

 tained the results were not altogether satisfactory. 

 One of the best was saved for future use. The flowers 

 are in color near H. setigera, and the growth prostrate 

 as in H. TTic/airw iaH«, but shorter jointed. The plant 

 is very hardy. H. Wichuraiana was next crossed with 

 a. rugosa, with more than pleasant results; Lady Dun- 

 can, silver medal from the Massachusetts Horticultural 

 Society in 1900, having the prostrate, long, rampant 

 growth of the mother, while the Rugosa blood shows in 

 the foliage spines and flowers, these last being a warm, 

 lively pink and making a delightful contrast to the yel- 

 low stamens. Another is somewhat deeper in color but 

 of less vigorous growth. A curious fact concerning 

 these extreme crosses is that not one of the Wichuraiana 

 hybrids described above will set seed, no matter how 

 treated. Prom H. Wichuraiana impregnated by Crim- 

 son Rambler has been obtained thus far only single, 

 pale pink bloom and foliage intermediate between the 

 two, but with the creeping habit of the mother. JR. 

 Wichuraiana fertilized by Belle Siebrecht loses its 

 character except to a slight degree in the foliage; the 

 habit is erect, strong and with stout spines ; the flowers 

 are single, rosy pink. This plant, if it will set seeds, 

 may produce an entirely new strain. H. Wichuraiana 

 crossed with Clothilde Soupert makes plants less vigor- 

 ous than itself; the foliage recalls both parents and the 

 double flowers are in color like Soupert. H. Wich- 

 uraiana crossed with JR. Indica, var. carnea has pro- 

 duced one with rich crimson flowers, single, with foli- 

 age neither as glossy nor as strong as its mother, but 

 with the same creeping habit: unnamed silver medal, 

 Massachusetts Horticultural Society, 1899; this bids 

 fair to be the forerunner of a fine race. R. Wichuraiana 

 crossed with Triomphe de Luxembourg (hyb. China) 

 has given several distinct forms, one with double rosy 

 purple flowers in clusters and creeping habit; another 

 is double, light pink with shining leaves. JR. Wich- 

 uraiana crossed by Bardon Job has given a single-clus- 

 ter Rose similar to Carmine Pillar, and the writer has 

 many other crosses between B. Wichuraiana and dif- 

 ferent Tea Roses and i?. repens (arvensis) with double 

 and single flowers ranging in color from white to rosy 

 pink and salmon; there are few of these seedlings 

 which do not have some merit, and all can probably 

 be improved. The crosses between R. Wichtiraiana, 

 Jacqueminot, JR. rugosa and Belle Siebrecht will not 

 bear seeds, but those with varieties of JR. Indica bear 

 seeds freely. Attempts will now be made to cross those 

 of satisfactory color with the Hybrid Perpetuals and 

 Hybrid Teas. 



Several seedlings of crosses between Crimson Rambler 

 and Wichuraiana have recently flowered. The result was 

 extraordinary, no two being alike and each individual 

 was a different shade of color, ranging from a pale rose 

 to a deep rosy purple and from single to double. The 

 best of this cross is a very double Rose, larger than 

 Crimson Rambler. Compared with the carnations Melba 

 and Marquis, the fresh flowers are nearer to Melba, 

 while the flowers of a week old are nearer to Marquis. 

 They are so near the color of these two carnations that 

 put in the midst of the two flowers it is almost impos- 

 sible to tell the difference between the two carnations 

 and the Rose. The habit is of Wichuraiana, and the 

 foliage is more brilliant. The plant grows 5 to 6 feet' 



in a season, lying close to the ground. There is no 

 doubt that this is one of the best hybrids of Wichuraiana 

 yet known regarding color, foliage and flower. 



In summing up the experiments of these hybrids, it is 

 well to say that possibly more highly colored Roses 

 might have been produced, but it would have been at 

 the expense of their hardiness. 



In making these crosses the writer has always care- 

 fully removed the stamens before there were any signs 

 of anthers opening, cutting through the petals while in 

 bud. A gauze covering was placed over the flowers both 

 before and after impregnation, to guard against insects. 

 To keep the record, names and date on a small wooden 

 tally were attached to the cluster. Sometimes the yield 

 in seeds is poor enough, only one in a hip and many 

 times none. The writer is always doubtful of the cross 

 when the fruit is too full of seeds. As R. Wichuraiana 

 opens after the other Roses have passed, it is a good 

 plan to pot vip a few and bring them into the green- 

 house in March; they will then bloom at the same time 

 the Hybrids, and others, are in flower out of doors. All 

 Roses can be prepared and pollinated in the greenhouse 

 more easily and with better results than in the open air. 

 When the plants are protected from bad weather there 

 is less danger that rain or dew will interfere with one's 

 labors. A sharp knife, a pair of forceps, some fine 

 gauze and a good hand-lens are sufficient tools for the 

 work. Always examine the stigma to see if it is ripe, 

 and, after applying the pollen, look again to see that 

 there is plenty and in the right place. If the flowers 

 which are to furnish the pollen are gathered early in 

 the morning and then placed on a pane of glass in a 

 warm greenhouse, the anthers can be opened much 

 easier than if left longer on the plant. Moreover, there 

 is less risk of the pollen having been contaminated by 

 insects. Jackson Dawson. 



Propagation of Roses. — The Rose is propagated by 

 seeds, cuttings, grafting or budding, by layers and by 

 division. The genus is so large and diversified and our 

 requirements are so many that the whole art of the 

 propagator is needed to satisfy the claims of the Queen 

 of Flowers. 



(See^Zs. — Roses are grown from seeds not only to ob- 

 tain new varieties but also because many true species 

 are economically procured in this way, e. g., R. canina, 

 R. multiflora, R. ferruginea, R. rugosa, R. ruhiginosa, 

 etc. The seeds should be gathered in autumn and at 

 once stratified with moist sand or allowed to ferment 

 in tubs, with a little water and kept in a fairly warm 

 place. When well rotted they can be easily rubbed and 

 washed clean and should be planted at once, either in 

 carefully prepared and well-manured beds out of doors 

 or in pans or flats in a cool greenhouse. It is sometimes 

 advised that the hips should first be dried and then 

 rubbed clean, but this method often causes delay in 

 germination, a matter suflicientlj' troublesome without 

 additional complications. Whether they are planted un- 

 der glass or in the garden it is difficult to forecast their 

 coming up. It may be within a few weeks, e. g., R. 

 multiflora under glass; or at the beginning of the sec- 

 ond growing season after planting, e. g., Sweetbrier 

 seed, planted out of doors in November, 1898, may be 

 expected to germinate in the spring of 1900, while R. 

 rugosa sown at the same time may come up thp follow- 

 ing spring, i. e., in 1899, or, a season intervening, it 

 will appear with the Sweetbrier in 1900. Stratifying or 

 fermenting the seeds tends to secure uniform germina- 

 tion within a reasonable time. It has also been sug- 

 gested, and many things confirm the idea, that early 

 gathering helps to hasten germination; in other words, 

 do not wait for excessive ripeness, but pick the hips as 

 soon as the seeds harden, some time before the fruit is 

 deep red. Until these matters are better understood, all 

 Rose seed sown out of doors, either in autumn or spring, 

 should be mulched 2 in. deep with pine needles or other 

 litter. Frequent examinations should be made in spring 

 and the covering at once removed when the seedlings 

 appear; if they do not appear let the mulch remain to 

 keep down weeds and retain moisture in the seed-bed. 

 Pans or flats in which seed has been planted should be 

 kept at least 18 months before discarding, with the soil 

 always moist. Notwithstanding the difficulties of ger- 



