SEEDLING ROSES. 197 



cross Roses. What pleasures of castle-building arose in 

 my mind as I saw the seed ripening, and the seedlings 

 which resulted from this and that cross springing into life. 

 Some things foreshadowed were actually realised, and I 

 gained, or thought I gained, in addition, a valuable insight 

 into some of the hidden workings of plant nature. Well, 

 it was a real pleasure, and those who can afford or may be 

 inclined to work for pleasure may here find a reasonable 

 amount of it. 



To begin at the beginning, select a good number of 

 seed-bearing sorts, and if one cannot pursue this work in 

 a glass-house, it is well to place the plants in a warm soil 

 and sunny situation out of doors. As, however, our 

 autumns in England are not always long enough or warm 

 enough to ripen the seed of Roses perfectly out of doors, 

 it is better to grow the plants under glass in beds or pots 

 to bloom in May. By this means an extra month is 

 obtained to aid in the process of ripening, and that month 

 is June, when there is usually some warm and sunny 

 weather. Here are a dozen free-seeding Roses which I 

 should judge eligible as seed bearers Moss, Celina ; H.P. 

 Jean Cherpin, Madame Victor Verdier, Duke of Edinburgh, 

 Victor Verdier, Henry Schultheis, Madame Vidot (indoors 

 only); Austrian, Harrisonii ; H.B. Coupe d'He*be, Paul 

 Ricaut ; Bourbon, Baron Gonella ; T. Marechal Niel (in- 

 doors only) ; and H.T. White Lady. 



Before commencing work we ought to have a pre- 

 arranged plan some definite object or objects in view 

 and work for their achievement. For instance, if we 

 want Moss Roses with flowers as handsome and sym- 

 metrical as the Hybrid Perpetuals, the union of the best 

 individuals of each group may be sought for. If we want 

 a Hybrid Perpetual Rose with leaves scented like those 

 of the Sweet Brier, varieties from these two groups may 

 be brought together. There would seem no bounds to 

 the variety of crosses that might be effected, but to con- 

 ceive and obtain something that would "take" with the 



