188 CULTURE OF THE ROSE. 



Moss-Rose, with red or crimson flowers, is wished for : the flow- 

 ers of the Blush Ayrshire, which bear seed abundantly, may be- 

 selected, and before expansion, the anthers removed ; the follow- 

 ing morning, or as soon after the operation as these flowers open, 

 they should be fertilized with those of the Luxembourg Moss ; 

 if the operation succeed, seed will be procured, from which, the 

 probability is, that a climbing rose will be produced with the 

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

 to them. I mention the union of the Moss and Ayrshire Rose 

 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 thou- 

 sand 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 ar- 

 rived at full growth, I thought it a Scotch Rose, the seed of which 

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

 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 heps, which are all abortive. The difference in 

 the fruit of the Moss and Provence Rose, and those of the 

 Scotch, is very remarkable ; and this it was which drew my par- 

 ticular attention to the plant in question. It was raised from the 

 same seed, and in the same seed-pan, as the single crimson Moss- 

 Rose. As this strange hybrid came from a Moss-Rose acciden- 

 tally fertilized, we may expect that art will do much more for us. 

 It is only in cases where it is wished for the qualities of a 

 particular rose to predominate, that the removal of the anthers 

 of the rose to be fertilized is necessary : thus, if a yellow climb- 

 ing rose is desired by the union of the Yellow-Briar with the 

 Ayrshire, every anther should be removed from the latter, so that 

 it is fertilized solely with the pollen of the former. In some 

 cases, where it is desirable to have the qualities of both parents 



