76 THE SUMMER ROSE GARDEN. 



in our gardens, a double flowering variety has 

 never yet been obtained. This rose is always 

 defective in pollen, and consequently it will not 

 bear seed unless its flowers are fertilised : as it 

 will be interesting to retain the traits of the spe- 

 cies, it should be planted with and fertilised by 

 the Double Yellow; it will then in warm dry 

 seasons produce seed not abundantly, but the 

 amateur must rest satisfied if he can procure even 

 one hep full of perfect seed. A French variety 

 of this rose called " Capucine de Semis " seems to 

 bear seed more freely, but as the colour of its 

 flowers is not so bright as the original, its seed, 

 even from fertilised flowers, would not be so 

 valuable. 



The beautiful and brilliant Rosa Harrisonii, 

 however, gives the brightest hopes. This should 

 also be planted with the Double Yellow Briar; it 

 will then, as I had the pleasure of ascertaining 

 even the last unfavourable summer, bear seed 

 abundantly : no rose will perhaps show the effects 

 of fertilising its flowers more plainly than this, 

 and' consequently to the amateur it is the pleasing 

 triumph of art over nature. Every flower on my 

 experimental plants, not fertilised, proved abor- 

 tive, while, on the contrary, all those that were 

 so, produced large black spherical heps full of 

 perfect seed. 



