144 THE PLOWEB GABDEN. 



fertilized must be opened gently with the fingers ; a 

 flower that will expand in the morning should be opened 

 the afternoon or evening previous, and the anthers all 

 removed with a pair of pointed scissors ; the following 

 morning, when this flower is fully expanded, it must be 

 fertilized with a flower of some variety of which it is 

 desired to have seedlings, partaking largely of its quali- 

 ties. To exemplify this, we will suppose that a climbing 

 Moss Rose with red or crimson flowers is wished for : 

 the flowers of the Blush Ayrshire, which bears seed 

 abundantly, may be selected, and, before expansion, the 

 anthers removed; the following 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 habit and the flower of the Moss Hose, or at least an 

 approximation to them ; and as these hybrids often bear 

 seed freely, by repeating the process with them the at 

 present apparently remote chance of getting a climbing 

 Moss Rose may be brought very near. It requires some 

 watchfulness to open the petals of the expanding flower 

 at the proper time : if too soon, the petals will be injured 

 in forcing them open; and in hot weather in July, if 

 delayed only an hour or two, the anthers will be found 

 to have shed their pollen. To ascertain precisely when 

 the pollen is in a fit state for transmission, a few of the 

 anthers should be gently pressed with the finger and 

 thumb ; if the yellow dust adheres to them, the operation 

 may be performed ; it requires close examination and 

 some practice to know when the flower to be operated 

 upon is in a fit state to receive the pollen ; as a general 

 rule, the flowers ought to be in the same state of expan- 

 sion, or, in other words, about the same age. 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 

 climbing rose is desired by the union of the Yellow Briar 

 with the Ayrshire, every anther should be removed from 



