ON THE ROSE 



flers estimate the total number of species of roses 

 at about thirty; whereas, on the other hand, a 

 French botanist of some authority has described 

 no fewer than 4,266 species from Europe and 

 Western Asia alone. Meantime, botanists in gen- 

 eral are disposed to recognize something over 100 

 species, not always being able to agree as to which 

 forms are entitled to rank only as varieties. 



If there is such uncertainty among the profes- 

 sional classifiers, it goes without saying that the 

 vagueness of characterization of different alleged 

 species and varieties is far greater among practical 

 horticulturists. There are, to be sure, a good many 

 pretty clearly fixed types that are everywhere rec- 

 ognized as having individuality. But each of these 

 is represented by many varieties, and these varie- 

 ties tend more or less to run into one another. This 

 can hardly be otherwise, considering the extent 

 to which hybridization takes place. 



So, as I said, it would be impossible to make 

 clear record of all the species of roses that have 

 been utilized in my experiments, even were it 

 desirable to do so. 



But it may be worth while to name a few of 

 the more conspicuous ones that have been of ex- 

 ceptional service, and the hereditary factors of 

 which have been blended and intermingled to 

 produce the new types of roses. 



[61] 



