ON THE ROSE 



structure of the plant. Its chief characteristics 

 seem to have peculiar prepotency or dominance. 

 But of course the latent characteristics of the vari- 

 ety with which the Jacqueminot is crossed may 

 reappear in later generations. 



In striking contrast with the virility of the 

 Jacqueminot is the approximate sterility of the 

 hardy old-fashioned Persian rose. 



This has blossoms of the handsomest yellow 

 color, and on this account was regarded as a desir- 

 able parent for hybridizing experiments, notwith- 

 standing that it blooms for only a short season in 

 the early summer. But not only does the Persian 

 rose itself fail to produce seed, but its pollen seems 

 to be sterile when applied to the pistils of other 

 flowers or fails to reveal its character in the seed- 

 lings. For many years I attempted to hybridize 

 the Persian rose with the Tea rose, Perpetuals, 

 Banksias, Multifloras, Bourbons, Wichurianas, and 

 many others, but in no case did I succeed in mak- 

 ing a useful combination. Nor was the experi- 

 ment more successful when an attempt at a recip- 

 rocal cross was made. The pistils of the Persian 

 rose failed to respond to the stimulus of pollen 

 from whatever source. So, of course, there was no 

 strain of the Persian rose in any of my hybrids. 

 This variety has seemingly reached a stage where 

 it can apparently be perpetuated only by division. 



[65] 



