ON THE HYBRIDISATION OF THE GENUS ROSA. 



45 



proved in the varieties of Roses, and that one can even reject it 

 altogether, since there is only one fact which establishes it, the 

 origin of the Noisette Rose, and since this fact came about in 

 America, and has been reported in several contradictory ways, it can 

 at least be called doubtful." * 



The famous ~i\Bosa peipetuosissima, which made Boitard say^ that 

 Poiteau had allowed a gross error to appear in print, in saying that it 

 was a hybrid between the Damask, Bourbon, Bengal, Tea and other 

 Roses, is perhaps analogous to some of the varieties grown now. Boitard 

 had not a keen perception, for he did not reflect that many Roses 

 descended from hybrids are derived from many species. In the Gladioli 

 of Lemoine one can easily point out the influence of four quite distinct 

 species. Since a hybrid, which is generally sterile with its own pollen, 

 can be fertilised by the pollen of another spesies, also by that of another 

 derived hybrid belonging to the same genus, one may easily i find a 

 plant which is composed of four species, from its more or less numerous 

 characteristics. 



Some few Rose-growers sometimes pretend to suspect atavism, for 

 the purpose of misleading amateurs. It being J understood that dogs do 

 not produce cats, they make known their successes -.by giving them the 

 names of their parents, which they take care are very good ones. 

 This procedure would evidently be very interesting as regards the history 

 of the varieties if the parentage assignee! to them were correct. Unfortu- 

 nately, however, these records are sometimes " made to measure," but it 

 must be acknowledged that reliable Rose-growers, who themselves go in 

 for hybridisation, do not act in this way. 



Btbrids obtained by crossing Hybrids, which are sterile 

 with their own pollen but fertile with that of another 

 Plant. 



In the majority of cases real hybrids between Roses are sterile, but it 

 is not unusual to see this sterility disappear if the pollen of one of their 

 ancestors be made use of to fertilise them. This fact does not appear to 

 be questioned. We have personally made experiments which leave no 

 doubt in this respect. Our hybrid between Rosa pomifera and the Bengal 

 Rose is absolutely sterile with its own pollen, but can be fertilised by the 

 Bengal or Tea Roses. It is probably in this way that growers of Roses 

 from seed ought to work, because it has not been shown that the very 

 remarkable hybrids which are called Hardy's Rose, Fortune's Banksia, and 

 Maria Leonida could not be fertilised with other species, or whether, if 

 they were proof against being fertilised altogether, they might not still 

 try to reproduce some analogous hybrid by simply changing one of their 

 ancestors. Monsieur Pernet-Ducher has already shown us how we ought 



* Monsieur Philippe Noisette, of America, wrote to his brother Louis Noisette, 

 sending him the Rose bearing his name, which he had obtained by the artificial fertili- 

 sation of Rosa indica with Rosa moschata. But is it certain that Monsieur Philippe 

 Noisette was not mistaken, and that his operation was successful, and that he had 

 not obtained this result with a seed of Rosa indica which had not been so fertilised? 



Our growers are continually obtaining new varieties of Noisettes, from seeds from 

 the Bengal Rose which they have not artificially fertilised. 



