. 
4 
THE AUSTRALIAN GARDENER. 
the soil with the finger, while such ceeds as thoce 
of stocks, pansies or asters, after being firmed 
down with the board and watered, should be 
covered with a layer of moist finely-sifted soil, 
Well-deeayed manure or hops, not thicker than 
the back of a knife. But such seeds as thoré of 
libelia, petunia or nicotiana, need no covering, 
honé“but- the pane of glass} piece’ of boird or 
paper, which ‘is*laid ovér the boxes until the 
Seeds are up, - Until then the seed trays $9 
Govered will, in most cases, need no ftrther 
Watering. 
Roses in 1905. 
The following notes, contributed by Alex. 
Dickson, of Hugh Dickson, Royal Nurseries, 
Belfast, treland, to tho Horticultural ‘Trade 
Journal, England, will Le read with interest by 
Australian rosarians. 
The greatest: interest~ of the trade will be 
manifested in the newer roses’ shown during the 
year, and the outstanding variety was undonbt~ 
edly J.B. Clark, which won the silver medal at 
Regent’s Park for the best H.T. in the show, a 
flower of immense size and finish ; Joseph Hiil, 
H.T., a splendid variety of Sunrise color but far 
superior to that variety ; Betty, a lovely garden 
rose of unique coloring ; Mrs Myles Kennedy, a 
creamy pink tea, of splendid form ; and Countess 
of Gosford, delicate shell-pink H.T., a type of 
Killarney, distinct in color. Among the best of 
the older novelties, Gustave Grunerwald, Dean 
Hole, Mme Paul Oliver, Hugh Dickson, Mrs 
David McKee, Le Progres, Mme ‘Vermorel. 
Lady Q. Ewart, Mme Chas. de Luze, and Prince 
de Bulgarie, were well shown, ? 
We are rapidly advancing to a type of H.T. 
rose which is first and foremost as a garden or 
decorative rose in the truest sense cf that term, 
and is at the same time a valuable show rose, 
We are developing in this class colors which 
were a few years age unheard of among H.'T’s 
and it will be at once apparent to the trade that. 
the public are not slow to appreciate the value 
of this improvement, as the demand for the 
newer roses of this type is still much in eXcess 
of the supply. 
Such sorts as La Tosea, Le Progres, J oseph 
Hill, Mme. Chas. de Luze, Mme Ravary, Abel 
Chatenay, Liberty, Dorothy, Richmond) Betty, 
Paul Lede, Jules Grolez, Perle von Godesberg, 
Gustave Grnnerwald, Etoile de Franee, Geo, 
Laing Paul, Lady Quartus Ewart, Lady Ashtown, 
Anne Marie Soupert, Prince de Bulgarie, Sena- 
teur Belle, Paul de Longprey, etc, are sure to 
sell well for many years to come. 
The type of climbing roses, which show an 
admixture of polyantha and Wichuaraina blood, 
have received some yaluable additions in the last 
lew years. Lady Gay, Wedding Bells, Debu- 
tante, Gruss an Zabern, Sweetheart, Philadelphia 
Rambler, ‘Carissima, Stella, Minnehaha, and 
Hiawatha, are all good, and thoroughly distinet 
both in habit and flower. 
The tea roses show less advance than an 
other section, but one or two of the novelties 
are really good, notably Mme. Vermorel, the best 
-addition to this section since White Cochet ; 
Freiherr von Marechal, Saxonia, and Friquet. 
The novelties among H. P’s. are not nume- 
yous, but some of them are of high merit. M. 
H. Walsh is a firm dark crimson: Mrs, A.M. 
Kiker, a clear cerise pink of very large size— 
loth of these are fine autumnal roses, as is 
ugh Dickscn, crimson scarlet; and Hugh 
Waiecn, a red cf“ Hayward” growth, 
Tn the garden rose section some very beauti- 
ful novelties are shown — 
Sulphurea, Countesse du Cayla 
Una, Rugossa Repens Alba 
Phillippine Lambert, The Dandy 
Katherine Zeimet and trish Elegance. 
Several old favorites were splendidly shown 
during the year, notably those in large bamioo 
stands at Regent’s Park, where they made a 
delightful show. A, K. Williams was magnifi- 
cent,as was Franz Karl Druschki, Killarney 
an{ White Maman Cochet, while in vases Ulrich 
Brunner, Mildred Grant and Caroline ‘lestout 
were very fine. 
‘Carnation Breeding. 
BY PROF, H. F. HALL. 
Some varieties never produce pollen, others only 
during Fall and Spring, while some are produc- 
tive in this respect at all seasons. 
By growing in pots and keeping the soil 
rather dry we have obtained pollen during tho 
Winter months from varieties which refused to 
do so when grown in a commercial way. 
Select for parents the most promising plants 
of the varieties to be used. If the flower selected 
for female or seed-bearing parent contains sta- 
mens they should be removed with forceps or 
tweezers as soon as the flower opens or before 
the anthers show the pollen,’ otherwise self- 
fertilisation may take place. ; 
In most varieties the pellen.matures before 
the stigma is ripe, thus eliminating much of 
the danger of self-fertilisation. When the pistil 
is receptive, which condition is indicated by the 
development of the stigmatic hairs, the pollen 
may be applied by the aid of a camel’s hair 
brush or dusted or from the male flower. 
I have ootained best results in using for this 
purpose a strip of ordinary blotting paper 3 or 
more inches long and about one-half inch in 
width, one end being cut with scissors to re- 
semble a sharpened pencil, the point of which 
is slightly fluffed to enable it to take up and 
hold the grains of pollen until lightly rubbed 
over the stigmatic surface of the pistil. 
By this method we have been successful in 
setting over 99 per cent. of all flowers worked 
and requiring yery littlo pollen, none being 
wasted as in other ways This method is original 
with us, so for as I am awar», 
From 10 am. until 2 p.m. on bright sunny 
days and a fairly dry well ventilated house are 
ideal conditions for pollenating. If the opera- 
tions are successful the petals will wilt in from 
one to three days, soon after which a part of the 
calyx should be torn down to allow the nectar 
to drain off, which if allowed to remain would 
develop a fungous growth and destroy the 
ovary. 
The seed pod should remain on tho plant 
about eight weeks or until the seeds are brown, 
when they may be gathered with their stems 
and put away ina dry place for a short time to 
ripen. A good time to plant is from January 
15 to February 15. 
Juxé 15, 1906 
Carnation breeding is yet in its infincy. The, 
leading varieties of to-day will be] tile grown 
ten years hence. What the type of that time 
will be no one can tell, 
The object of crossing is to combine the good 
qualities of both parents in the progenies. This 
combination is seldom obtained, but by know- 
ing |the pedigree of each of the parents used the 
breeder should be able to produce the type 
desired by growing a large number of seedlings 
f:om which to select. 
After breeding out of a variety certain unde- 
sirable traits by selection, and using this variety 
as a parent in making a cross we often find the 
old hidden faults very much in evidence in the 
offspring. When the inherent forces of two 
plants unitein a cross a strugele for supremacy 
takes place, whereby the fixed or constant char- 
acter is set free, to gather again in the progeny 
in various combinations of fori, colour, ete. 
As no two plants of progenyare exactly alike 
it is very important. that a evreful. selection 
should be made and that a large uumber of 
plants he available from which to select the 
parents for crossing. 
Some varieties have unknown or hidden 
qualities, for instance the eolor character of a 
flower 1s often compound when it appears to be 
simple. 
In breeding we often look upon a plant as a 
unit when it really comprises a large number of 
traits or characters, 
The longer we work in a random way the 
more puzzling becomes the question of inherit- 
ance and cross-breeding to one in search of 
definite results, 
We should seek a better knowledge of the 
laws of plant breeding, as at present we'are 
groping in the dark so for as a knowledge of past 
results is concérned. AAS SORE Hi Le 
{ would suggest that all information obtain- 
able on this point be published from year to 
year, from which conclusions could be drawn to 
be used as a foundation for future work, © 
S. Marshall & Sons 
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