January  2i,  189?. 
JOURNAL  OF  HORTICULTURE  AND  COTTAGE  GARDENER. 
51 
Hybridisation  op  Roses. 
[The  N.R.S.  Prize  Essay,  by  Walter  Easi.ea.  R.  Clark,  Limited : 
Edinburgh,  1896.] 
The  “  Rosarian’s  Year  Book  for  1897  ”  telis  us  “  In  1896  Mr.  A.  H. 
Grey  offered  a  prize  of  £5  for  the  best  essay  on  the  Hybridisation  of 
Roses,”  and  that  “  the  prize  was  awarded  to  Mr.  Walter  Easlea  for  a 
very  carefully  considered  brochure.  He  is  the  son  of  one  who  was 
associated  with  the  late  Mr.  Laxton  in  the  various  experiments  on 
hybridisation  he  carried  out  both  at  Stamford  and  Bedford,  and  he  is 
moreover  engaged  at  Messrs.  W.  Paul  &  Son’s,  at  Waltham  Cross,  so 
that  he  has  had  much  theoretical  and  practical  training  for  the  task 
which  he  undertook.” 
It  is  certainly  exceedingly  well  executed.  Our  readers  cannot  do  better 
than  invest  in  it,  nor  will  they  regret,  even  though  “bang  goes  saxpence.” 
It  is  worth  the  money  and  more.  A  large  portion  of  course  belongs 
specially  to  the  hybridiser,  but  there  is  much  also  that  is  interesting  to  the 
average  rosarian.  “ Poeta  nascitur,  non  fit and  so,  we  incline  to 
think,  is  it  with  the  originators  of  new  Roses.  We  too  have  aspired, 
and  essayed  ;  but  the  pollen,  and  the  stamen,  and  the  pistils  never  seemed 
to  be  of  one  mind  at  the  critical  moment.  A  calm  old  age  has  induced 
encouragement  rather  of  other  operators. 
Mr.  Easlea  gives  his  subject  three  heads  and  an  application.  Under 
conceivable  circumstances  two  are  sufficient;  but  we  would  not  willingly 
lose  one  of  these  three — 1,  The  Art  of  Cross-fertilisation.  2,  Some  Past 
Results.  3,  Improvements  Desirable.  Then  the  seed  and  its  treatment. 
This  last  we  shall  skip,  as  is  usual  with  most  morals.  The  three  former 
contain  also  much  of  general  interest.  As  to  “  the  Art,”  he  brings  forward 
some  highly  respectable  names,  asserting  that  “  Nature  intended  flowers 
to  be  cross-fertilised  for  their  own  good  and  that  sometimes  the  vigour  is 
thus  increased  fiftyfold.”  Immortal  Will  has  a  word  to  say  on  this, 
as  well  as  on  almost  every  other  subject. 
‘  This  is  an  Art 
Which  does  mend  Nature — change  it  rather ;  but 
The  Art  itself  is  Nature.” — (  W.  Night's  Tale.) 
Says  Mr.  Easlea,  “We  need  to  infuse  new  blood  into  our  Roses  at  the 
present  day,  as  our  horse-breeders  and  farmers  are  doing  with  their 
horses,  cattle,  and  poultry.  The  late  Mr.  Bennett  once  told  me  that  he 
believed  he  could  induce  any  variety  of  Rose  to  seed.”  This  is,  however, 
by  no  means  a  usual  experience  in  our  climate. 
Mr.  Easlea  suggests  an  airy  light  glass  structure,  to  be  erected  in  the 
form  of  a  lean-to,  facing  due  south,  and  then  instructs  the  happy  owner 
exactly  how  to  proceed.  As  there  is  not  many  a  Lord  Penzance,  and 
very  many  weaker  brethren,  it  may  be  well  now  to  hasten  on  to  his 
second  (“Past  Results”)  discussion.  This  chapter  is  exceedingly 
interesting,  and  with  old  rosarians  will  revive  many  touching 
reminiscences.  Dear  General  Jacq  !  what  an  extensive  progeny  indeed 
he  sees  around  him  !  And,  what  is  puzzling  to  express,  he  seems  some¬ 
times  to  have  been  mother  as  well  as  father.  “Seed  parent”  in  the 
case  of  Charles  Lefebvre  and  Mons.  Boncenne  ;  “pollen  parent”  to 
R.  M.  Henriette,  Albert  la  Blotais,  Max  Singer,  and  others. 
Jules  Margottin  is  mentioned  next;  “  A  wonderfully  wide  range  of 
colour  has  characterised  the  offspring  of  this  variety — Castellane 
V.  Bouyer,  Annie  Laxton,  and  many  others.”  Victor  Verdier  has  been 
also  an  excellent  seed  producer  ;  Etienne  Levet,  Marie  Finger,  S.  M. 
Rodocanachi,  and  other  high-class  Roses  all  claiming  his  parentage.  In 
some  cases  several  generations  can  be  traced.  That  huge  La  Reine,  the 
ruin  of  our  “  boxes  ”  in  our  “  sallet”  days,  produced  Anna  de  Diesbach, 
a  much  mitigated  representation  of  herself  ;  and  this,  again,  Ulrich 
Brunner,  which  has  been  pronounced  on  high  authority  our  very  best 
all-round  Rose,  taking  colour,  character,  and  foliage  into  consideration. 
The  good  old  Glory  has  a  progeny  which  would  require  an  article  to  them- 
Belves,  R.  M.  Henriette  being  the  result  of  her  marriage  with  Gdnffial 
Jacqueminot  ;  those  excellent  Roses  Belle  Lyonnaise  and  Madame 
Bdrard  arq  also  her  offspring. 
Amongst  Tea  Roses  Madame  Falcot  has  been  a  useful  seeder,  being 
the  parent  of  Perle  des  Jardins,  Hon.  Edith  Gifford  as  a  grandchild,  and 
that  almost  best  all-round  Tea,  M.  V.  Houtte.  From  Devoniensis  has 
come  the  new  and  highly  esteemed  K.  A.  Victoria.  The  little-known 
Madame  de  Tartas  gives  the  excellent  Madame  Lambard,  and  the  still 
more  famous  Cheshunt  Hybrid,  this  latter  being  the  result  of  a  cross 
between  Tartas  and  C.  de  Rohan.  Maman  Cochet,  the  best  new  Tea, 
descends,  we  are  told,  from  that  Rose  treasure  Catherine  Mermet.  To 
this  list  must  be  added  Isabella  Gray,  the  parent  of  the  great  Marechal 
Niel ;  “  very  much,”  says  Dean  Hole,  “as  if  a  dingy  old  sparrow  had 
hatched  out  a  canary  !  ” 
But  results  must  be  left  for  endeavours.  The  third  heading,  “  Im¬ 
provements  Desirable,”  makes  the  mouth  water,  but  the  experienced 
grower  alBO  to  remark  inwardly  something  or  other  about  “  hope 
deferred.”  These  improvements  are  suggested  with  a  light  heart,  their 
realisation  would  be  hailed  with  a  thankful  one.  “  In  the  first  place  our  1 
collection  of  show  Roses  is  sadly  in  need  of  a  good  vivid  poppy  scarlet.” 
The  possible  parents  of  such  are  suggested.  “Large,  well  shaped,  very 
dark,  almost  black,  Roses  are  wanted.”  “  A  pure  white  Marie  Baumann 
would  be  a  welcome  addition  to  our  seventy-twos.” 
“Among  Tea  Roses  and  H.T.’s,  take,  for  instance,  such  splendid 
varieties  as  Maman  Cochet  and  K.  A.  Victoria.  We  require  more  Roses 
of  this  type,  and,  if  they  can  be  obtained  in  pure  yellow,  bronze,  and 
Ma  Capucine  colour,  what  a  glorious  feast  is  in  store  for  us  1  ”  "A 
white  Marechal  Niel  is  announced,  but  what  a  lovely  acquisition  would 
be  a  Marechal  of  the  colour  of  W.  A.  Richardson.  Mr.  Bennett  informed 
me  on  one  occasion  that  he  had  induced  Mardchal  Niel  to  seed,  therefore 
there  is  hope  for  us.” 
We  had  marked  further  passages,  but  perhaps  are  now  verging 
rather  too  nearly  on  Utopia. 
“  Utopia  is  a  pleasant  place, 
But  how  shall  we  get  there  ? 
Straight  down  the  crooked  lane, 
And  right  round  the  square.” — Hood. 
We  conclude  with  a  very  happy  latter-day  suggestion,  though  most 
of  us  have  still  to  make  full  acquaintance  with  the  couple  suggested 
to  be  affianced.  “Would  not  a  cross  between  Crimson  Rambler  and 
A.  S.  Grey  produce  some  novelties  in  the  way  of  climbers?”  Do,  Mr. 
Easlea,  delight  us  with  the  realisation,  as  well  as  suggestion,  of  some  of 
these  only  too  seductive  fairy  visions. 
COLOURED-STEMMED  RUBUS. 
Although  moBt  of  the  species  which  form  the  genus  Rubus  are 
decidedly  more  ornamental  during  the  summer  and  autumn  than  in  winter , 
there  are  several  which  are  most  conspicuous  during  the  latter  season, 
the  species  referred  to  being  those  with  coloured  stems.  Some  of  these 
are  R.  biflorus,  from  the  temperate  Himalayas  ;  R.  leucodermis  and 
R.  occidentalis,  natives  of  N.W.  America  ;  R.  lasiostylis,  from  China  ; 
and  R.  neglectus  and  R.  racemosus.  The  colour  of  these  plants  is  due 
to  a  glaucous  bloom  which  covers  the  stems,  in  some  cases  so  thickly  as 
to  give  the  plants  the  appearance  of  being  covered  with  a  coat  of  white 
paint; 
By  far  the  most  conspicuous  of  those  mentioned  is  R.  biflorus.  This 
forms  a  strong-growing  bush,  somewhat  resembling  in  habit  the  common 
Blackberry.  R.  neglectus  is  also  very  good  ;  the  coating  of  bloom 
is  thinner  than  in  the  preceding,  and  does  not  altogether  hide  the 
reddish-brown  bark  beneath.  The  habit  of  R,  occidentalis  is  similar  to 
that  of  the  two  foregoing,  and  the  stems  have  a  rather  thick  coating  of 
bloom.  R,  leucodermis  is  more  rambling,  and  much  weaker  than  either 
of  the  former.  R,  lasiostylis  and  R.  racemosus  are  stiffer  in  habit  than 
the  former,  resembling  more  the  growth  of  the  Raspberry. 
Like  most  other  coloured-stemmed  plants,  the  best  colouring  is 
obtained  from  young  quickly  grown  shoots,  consequently  they  should  be 
planted  in  good  soil,  so  as  to  insure  strong  growths  each  year,  some  of 
the  old  growths  being  cut  away  annually.  — W.  D. 
ROYAL  HORTICULTURAL  SOCIETY. 
January  12th. 
Scientific  Committee. — Present :  Mr.  Michael  (in  the  chair)  ; 
Mr.  Lynch,  Rev  W.  Wilks,  Dr.  Russell,  Dr.  Bonavia,  Mr.  Douglas,  and 
Rev.  G.  Henslow  (Hon.  Sec). 
Tomatoes  Diseased. — It  was  reported  from  Kew  that  the  specimens 
exhibited  at  the  last  meeting  were  too  much  decayed  to  be  able  to 
ascertain  what  fungus,  if  any,  had  caused  the  disease. 
Senecio  multiflorus,  Hybrids  .—Mr .  Lynch  exhibited  a  number  of 
specimens  which  he  had  raised  by  crossing  S.  multiflorus  with  various 
forms  of  the  garden  or  cultivated  Cineraria.  The  colours  much 
resembled  those  of  the  latter  plant,  the  foliage  being  intermediate,  and 
the  height  about  8  feet.  All  but  one  had  S.  multiflorus  as  the  female 
parent,  the  results  showing  therefore  great  prepotency  on  the  part  of 
the  male  (Cineraria).  S.  multiflorus  was  first  introduced  from  the 
Canaries  in  1855  (“  Bot.  Mag.,”  tab.  4994,  Doronicum  Bourgfei).  It  was 
subsequently  lost  from  Kew  and  reintroduced  to  Cambridge  by  Mr. 
Gardener  in  1895.  Some  of  the  flowers  showed  a  peculiar  circular  white 
spot  on  the  red  tip  of  the  petals. — (  Gardeners'  Chronicle ,  Jan.  16, 1897.) 
Cineraria  cruenta. — Mr.  Douglas  said  that  he  is  raising  seedlings  of 
this  plant,  in  order  to  see  if  if  varies  towards  the  cultivated  forms 
without  being  crossed.  Mr.  Lynch  observed  that  C.  Tussilaginis 
was  a  species  which  apparently  most  nearly  resembled  the  cultivated 
Cineraria. 
White  Narcissus,  Artificially  Coloured. — Dr.  Russell  exhibited  some 
cut  flowers  of  white  Polyanthus  Narcissus,  which  he  had  placed  in  solutions 
of  acid  red  magenta  (Judson)  dye,  and  in  acid  green.  The  colours  had 
traversed  the  fibro-vascular  cords,  and  then  spread  over  the  intermediate 
tissues,  forming  a  border  round  the  ends  of  the  petals.  He  proposes 
investigating  the  matter  to  try  and  discover  the  general  nature  of  those 
colours  which  will  act  in  this  way.  It  took  from  twelve  to  fifteen 
hours  to  infuse  the  perianths.  Mr.  Henslow  remarked  that  John 
Laurence  in  his  book  on  gardening  (1726),  says  that  people  in  his  day 
used  to  colour  flowers  by  letting  the  roots  lie  in  a  solution  of  the  lees  of 
claret. 
