l^tobobenliron ^ocietp ^otesi. 
Hybridising 
experiences. 
Gardeners’ Chronicle, August 2nd, 1879. 
The “ pray do ” with which you responded to the proposal in my first (I have 
now arrived at my sixth) paper, to relate some of my owm hybridising experiences, 
as well as the following passage from the pen of Mr. Thiselton-Dyer, must be my 
excuse for again troubling you. Mr. Dyer, in your issue of February 2nd, 1878, 
alluding to Mr. Parkman’s communication on Lily hybridising, called it “an 
excellent example, which it is much to be wished that other hybridisers would 
follow,’’ and he added that “ they should record for the benefit of science the 
results of even their unsuccessful attempts.’’ In the spring of last year, I was 
hybridising with many Rhododendrons, and among others, using a plant of 
R. FORMOSUM as seed-bearer. R. formosum is well known as a white scented 
variety, not hardy, and found by Sir J. Hooker growing in the Khasia Mountains 
at the low elevation of 2,000 feet (see Himalayan Journal ). It is said to 
be nearly allied with R. Veitchii, from Mouhnein, whose splendid fringed 
blossoms charmed so many at the shows of the year, and also with 
R. CHAMPION.E,* which was “ found growing abundantly among rocks in a ravine 
at Fort Victoria, Hong-Kong,’’ in 1849 (see Botanical Magazine, t. 4609), 
but of which I know nothing further, and should be glad of information. On 
the above-mentioned plant of R. formosum I touched flowers (in pairs, which 
are far better than single flowers for detecting errors), with pollen of R. arboreum, 
MOLLE, “ Princess Alice,’’ glaucum, Aucklandii, Jenkinsii, Falconeri, 
Edgeworthii, “Duke of Edinburgh” (one of Messrs. Veitch’s new strain), and 
of Azaleas amcena, pontica, and indica. Two pairs only of the capsules 
swelled, viz., those touched with the pollen of R. Edgeworthii and Jenkinsii. 
The rest fell off about a month after the corollas. As to the cross with 
R. Edgeworthii, I felt but Uttle interest, for I knew that it had been effected 
long ago, and that X R. “ Sesterianum ” and others were the result; but the 
cross with R. Jenkinsii appeared to me novel. It promised also to be useful, 
considering the extreme beauty of the species, and the following very correct 
description of it in Regel’s Gartenflora : “ Scheint zu den sehr dankbar 
bliihenden Arten zu gehoren, indem unsere 2 Fuss hohe Pflanze auf der Spitze 
jedes ihrer 3 Aeste eine Blumendolde tragt.” 
The four capsules continued to swell during the summer and autumn, and in 
October it was difficult to detect the smallest difference between them. They 
had attained a full size, and seemed to ripen gradually during the winter months, 
still maintaining apparently perfect equality. At the end of January of this 
year, the two Edgeworthii capsules dehisced, and were found to contain 
abundance of plump well-ripened seed. The two Jenkinsii capsules kept closed, 
turning brown, however, at the apex, and seeming to ripen downwards. 
On February 1st these last were gathered and opened. They contained 
chiefly what I may call (as Mr. Parkman does) chaff ; but in one capsule I found 
* When and by whom has the alliance of R. formosum and Champion.^: been 
suggested ?—I.B.B. See Lemaire Jardin Fleuriste, Tom. I., pi. 208. 
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