PROPAGATED ROSES.

Bruce Herald, Volume LV, Issue 63, 18 August 1919, Page 4

PROPAGATED ROSES.

"J.L.C." (Now Plymouth) writes : "Would you. kindly explain, through, tho medium of your valuable column, how new varieties of roses are obtained, and what stocks to use for budding .on, etc. I have a big garden of roses here, and am desirous of trying my hand at propagating ' a new variety, hence, I would value your advieo on how to proceed. As an ox-resident of Christchurch I used to follow your advice as given per medium "of The Sun, and found it to be always reliable." New varieties of roses are raised from hybridised seed, but it is a long and tedious process to get even a'sporting chance of raising something better than the varieties wo have now, and for which a considerable number of plants would have to be raised, such being tho experience of the leading rose raisers. T. G.'Hill, speaking at a conference on hybridisation in America, said that out of several thousand seedling roses less than two dozen were of permanent value, and a few only were put in commerce. Alexander Dickson, in his remarks on the hybridisation of roses at the conference on rose growing in London (1902) said: "I have hybridised for almost twenty years and tho seedlings developed during that tiino nubber over 50,000, whilst those that in our opinion have been good enough to take their place in our shows scarcely amount to 100." lam not writing this to discourage you but to show you what you would be up against, but it is well known that often "the beginner has all! the luck." If hybridisation or cross fertilisation is to be successful it is necessary to be sure the flower to bo operated on as the seed-bearer is not selffertilised, and to make sure of this it is ncessary to cut away all the petals with a pair of sharp-pointed scissors while the flower is still in the bud state, and to remove all the anthers before the pollen is ripe, as tho anthers, or male organs, often discharge their pollen before the flower opens, care being taken not to injure the pistil or ovary, the female organs of the flower. After preparing the flower in tho manner described, pollen from the flower selected for Hfc cross must be applied to the stigmata of the emasculated flower with a camel's hair brush, care being taken that it is quite free from the pollen of any other variety. If the stigma is in ■the right condition to receive the pollen it will adhere to its surface readily, which may be seen with a pocket lens. If it docs not adhere the operation must be repcateil on the followin gday. A bright, sunny day about noon is tho best time to pollinate. Of course, seedlings may be raised from hips produced naturally, but my experience is that it is not worth the time given, as it will generally be found that tre seedlings do not come up to the parent in quality. Tho only chance to get something new in roses now is to get off the beaten track and to use as one of the parents a species that has not previously been worked with. There are three sections of roses that have lately come into being that illustrate the point: (1) The Wichuriana ramblers, (2) tho Pcrncttiana varieties, these being crosses with the Austrian briar K. lutea and its variety bicolour (the copper briar), which has give us such distinct' varieties as Madame Ed. Herriott and the Lyon rose ; (3) the Penzance briars are the result of crossing the sweet briar with the Austrian briars. A species that I should.be inclined to take up, if I was a good many years younger, would be I. laevigata (sinica), the camelia rose, as in itself it is one of the finest white single roses, and it has beautiful bright shiny foliage that* seems immune from fungoid pests. It is not hardy in Canterbury, but should be with you. Its hybrid "anemone" is perfectly hardy and a very charming rose, but it will not seed. For propagating by budding cuttings of the dog-rose briar, R. Canina, arc most generally used. As to the modus operandi, five minutes practical instruction from an expert buddcr, if you number such a one' among your rose-growing friends, will be more useful .than pages of written instructions. There is a most excellent article on raising new varieties of roses from seed in the National Eose Society's "Annual" for .1914, written and illustrated in tho plainest manner by Dr A. H. Williams.