THE FLORAL WORLD AND GARDEN GUIDE. 
327 
and hardiest, and may be entered on the select list of “ beautiful 
trees for kind climates.” Dr. Hooker says, in speaking of the tree 
daisies, “Many of them would thrive well and form great ornaments 
in the gardens in the mild part of the West of England,” and adds, 
that “ the present species forms a fine bush in the Scilly Isles.” 
This tree daisy is a native of the east coast of Australia, from Port 
Jackson, the Blue Mountains, and Illawarra, southward to Twofold 
Bay. The plant is not known in English nurseries. 
OH RAISING ROSES FROM SEED. 
fi^^^^^HERE is a good show of scarlet “ heps ” now on the wild 
^be roses of the garden are not altogether 
destitute of similar adornments. It will be reasonable, 
therefore, to offer a few practical remarks on the raising 
of roses from seed. 
It is generally believed by amateurs that to raise seedling roses is 
a most difficult and tedious business ; but that is a mistake. There can 
be nothing easier. To obtain new and fine varieties worth naming 
is another matter, but it would be a grand mistake to suppose that 
elaborate manipulations in hybridizing, or as we should more pro- 
perly say, crossing, are necessary. Very few of all the roses that 
are in the catalogues have been obtained by systematic crossing ; 
they have for the most part been obtained in the same way as good 
geraniums, good carnations, good dahlias, and good chrysanthemums 
are obtained, by simply saving seed from the best varieties and care- 
fully raising plants therefrom. It is, nevertheless, a fact that, as a 
rule, systematic raising gives the best results, and the rosarian may 
therefore be properly advised to operate on selected flowers with a 
view to obtain seed of a character predetermined by the operator. 
If he is not disposed to make so refined a pastime of raising seed- 
lings, he may be content to save seed as he can get it, and take his 
chance of what it may produce. 
Our climate is not quite favourable to the raising of new roses, 
and that is the principal reason why we have to depend upon the 
rose-growers of sunny France. Nevertheless, the many splendid 
varieties that have been raised by Messrs. Paul, by Mr. Ward, and 
others, not only prove the possibility, but afford abundant encourage- 
ment to the English amateur, who in a fine autumn may ensure 
abundance of good seed ; and in a wet and cold autumn must be 
content to rest from his labours on getting perhaps a score of ripe 
heps instead of hundreds or thousands. How then is the seed to 
be obtained ? The simplest mode of procedure will be to plant out 
in a sunny position, on rather poor soil, a selection of the very finest 
roses known. The site should be dry and breezy ; if shut in by 
trees, or in any degree swampy, it will not produce good seed. A 
luxuriant growth is not to be desired, in fact a somewhat starving 
and roasting condition favour seed production, but the seed-produc- 
ing plants should not be starved to the extent of impairing their 
November. 
