Hybridizing, 127 



When the flowers have passed away we shall soon have the satisfaction of seeing 

 the seed-pods swell. Remove from time to time any decayed petals that may adhere 

 to the seed-pods ; and as the latter ripen it will be well to devise some means to 

 protect them from birds. I have no direct proof to adduce 'that birds eat the seed- 

 pods of cultivated Roses ; but I have often seen the greenfinch feasting on the 

 Sweet Briar hips, and should these by any chance become scarce or fail he probably 

 might not object to this slight change of diet. 



It is quite conceivable that some lovers of Roses may wish to raise seedlings 

 although not willing to incur the trouble of crossing or hybridizing. If so the seeds 

 should be gathered from the most approved sorts only, and such as have been highly 

 cultivated. If we sow the seeds of a common variety or one that has had no special 

 cultivation, the offspring may vary but little from the parent, or not take the develop- 

 ment in size, form, or colour that it would if proceeding from a superior variety or one 

 that had been highly cultivated. 



In the first extensive sowing of Rose seeds which I made the seeds were gathered 

 promiscuously from varieties subjected to ordinary cultivation, and the result was 

 but little variation or advancement. In successive sowings the seeds were gathered 

 year by year from choicer sorts and plants subjected to higher cultivation, and the 

 variation and advancement continued to increase. This, be it remarked, was inde- 

 pendent of artificial fertilisation ; the seedlings seemed to be more marked as the 

 result of higher cultivation in the parent. 



In all cases the seed-pods should be left on the plants as long as possible, even to 

 December, as a means of securing well-ripened seeds. 



