52 
THE FLORIST AND POMOLOGIST. 
[ March, 
I have more frequently used them after the long ones had fallen off, and therefore 
possibly the pollen was stale. 
I cannot advise as to the employment of individual varieties for parents. This 
must depend upon the object, the taste, and judgment of the manipulator; and 
he must be guided, too, by his own notes as to which he would use a second time, 
for it will be found that some varieties will produce good results as seed-bearers, 
and some as pollen parents, while others are good or bad in both capacities. 
In breeding for either golden or silver tricolors, I recommend the emplo}’- 
ment as seed-bearers of the darkest-zoned and most robust-constitutioned non- 
variegated varieties obtainable : the foliage should be stout, convex, and circular, 
with the base colour dark green, and the zone well defined and broad ; for pollen 
parents, varieties distinguished for their brilliancy of colour, and definition of their 
markings, in conjunction with vigour of constitution, short-jointed habit, circular 
and convex foliage. It is not desirable to use the pollen of variegates while on 
their seedling roots, for under these circumstances they possess but very weak 
powers of transmission of colour to their progeny. The power of transmission of 
colour is greatly increased when the variegates have been established on their 
own roots. 
I have obtained some pleasing golden tricolor varieties by using the gold 
bronze zonals as seed-bearers, but I find by employing them there is less chance 
of the seedlings possessing the requisite vigour to make satisfactory varieties after 
propagation, than by the adoption of the robust green zonal. 
Amongst the seedlings raised between the golden tricolors and the green 
zonals, I have invariably had some come gold and bronze bicolors; but to 
breed for bicolors I should employ a dark gjreen zonal as seed-bearer, and the 
bicolors as pollen parent. 
I have used the term hybridization in my former papers, but correctly speaking 
all that I have hitherto treated of amounts only to artificial fertilization. I would 
mention that I have failed to obtain a cross (although I have tried hundreds of 
times) between the tricolors and ordinary zonal varieties, and the class to which 
Surpasse Beaute de Suresnes, an old variety named the Duke of Cornwall, and 
most of the Doubles belong; these will all cross freely with one another, but 
absolutely refuse even so aristocratic an alliance as to accept of Lord Derby as a 
husband—why, I cannot conceive : for they appear in every respect to belong to 
the same species. 
Lastly, touching a matter of very considerable importance to the amateur 
with a limited amount of house-room, viz., the proportion of really good varieties 
(I mean varieties possessing novel properties, and qualities considerably in advance 
of those we have) obtainable in a given number of seedlings—upon this point I 
fear I cannot hold out a very brilliant prospect. In fact the proportion is 
small, and may be said, after all, to resolve itself into a matter of selection ; 
for using as I do nothing but the very best and finest varieties in cultiva¬ 
tion as parents, a very considerable amount of thought and judgment. 
