In the Gardeners' Chronicle, January 5, 1878, page 22, was published a note by Dr. Fenzi of Florence, concerning three single-flowered (two white, one yellow) varieties of Rosa banksiae, raised in 1868 by the late Paolo Baroni, curator of the Botanic Garden dei Simplici, Florence, from seeds harvested from a double-flowered variety of this species. Dr. Fenzi's note indicates that these varieties were bearing every year a certain quantity of fertile seeds.

Some twelve years ago through the kindness of the late Professor Baccarini, directory of the Botanic Garden, I received two plants of these single varieties, one white, the other yellow coloured, and I planted them in my garden side by side. They are now covering a wall some metres high, facing east, and bear every year early in April a profusion of pretty, single, sweet-scented flowers, that are unfortunately ephemeral. But, strange to say, I have not been able to gather a fruit from those plants except after cross-fertilisation, which is strongly contrasted with the fertility noted above in the Botanic Garden of Florence.

For eight years I have made many attempts to cross-fertilise these single varieties, and I find that obtaining fertile seeds by this means is not an easy matter. Owing to the autosterility of both those varieties and the absence of any other species or variety of Roses blooming in my garden at the same time; the work of hybridation is very simple and consists only in the pollenisation of the stigmas without any preparation of the flower. As a consequence of the earliness of flowering it is a little difficult to procure pollen of other species and varieties, except from forced plants. For my experiments I have been able to make use of the pollen of the following species and varieties:—Rosa gigantea, R. bengalensis fl. roseo pleno, Fortune's Yellow, Lamarque, Candeur Lyonais (HP), Climbing Caroline Testout (HT), Safrano (T), Maréchal Niel (T), Climbing Frau Karl Druschki (HP), Etoile de France (HT), Ulrich Brunner (HP), and a few others.

Cross-fertilised flowers rarely bear fruits and, more rarely, fertile seeds. The fruits are like a small Pea and when they contain a single round seed some promise of germination is offered, but when two or three small, irregular seeds are produced, they are certainly sterile. To give an idea of this difficulty I may state that from a quantity of seeds collected from fifty fruits last year and sown with every care in November in a greenhouse, only one plant has been produced; and I have only six plants representing the work of eight years. These are the results from the following crosses:—

1) R. Banksiae lutea simplex x R. Noisettiana Lamarque
2) R. Banksiae alba simplex x R. bengalensis fl. roseo pl.
3) R. Banksiae alba simplex x Fortune's Yellow
4) R. Banksiae lutea simplex x Safrano

The parentage of the two remaining plants is not recorded. The crosses between R. Banksiae alba and lutea simplex and R. gigantea bore fruits, but the seeds did not germinate. I have given the name of Rosa Banksiae hyb. Di Castello to the only hybrid I have flowered, and this plant is the result of crossing of the simple R. Banksiae lutea with Lamarque. This hybrid has a robust constitution but is less vigorous than the mother, though more hardy. The branches, almost spineless, bear an abundance of double flowers of the purest white, about seven centimetres in diameter, sometimes singly, sometimes in clusters of three; they flower successively, are very fragrant and last some days in perfection.

The time of flowering is early in April at Castello.

The first attempt was made using Tom Thumb as seed parent and a seedling of mine (R. centifolia x unnamed HT) as pollen parent; the cross gave seedlings of intermediate characters.

I had more interesting results from the cross R. chinensis minima (Tom Thumb var.) x R. banksiae lutescens and its reciprocal. The series of hybrids obtained varies from the dwarf ones of about eight inches to the big climbing ones; some thornless, all having good ornamental foliage. The blooms are white, in corymb, long lasting and very decorative.

A climbing plant which seemed to have no everblooming habit has now improved giving a profusion of sweetly scented double flowers which, from December till July, form a candid cascade. During the August-November period the luxuriant glossy foliage compensate for the lack of flowers.

By working again with the R. centifolia I obtain Miniature varieties which, like the old May rose, have a tendency to propagate by root-shoot and can therefore be easily multiplicated by cuttings, maintaining their original height of 4-6 inches. Some hybrids of wonderful color which I obtained from crosses between the Hybrid Teas and the R. foetida and foetida bicolor are also successfully combined with my Miniatures. I have the best results regarding the flower shape and the cut qualities using the true Teas and Hybrid Teas of the Ophelia offspring. All this work of inter-specie crosses was always made with a clear view of the final result—new types of miniature and middle-sized roses having these characteristics: vigorous everblooming plants performing well outdoors and under glass. Their stems shall be in harmonious relation with the bloom they support singly. The flowers, 1-2 inches when open, must have good shape, long lasting qualities, in a great color range, ideal for cutting and forcing. With this goal in mind, inspired by every step in the right direction, I augmented the crosses little by little in order to get a valuable number of seeds. Product of about 18,000 crosses was last October's sowing of 120,000 seeds of which 80,000 were for these characteristics. Growing seedlings in a large scale is the way to materialize the dreams of the long years of work, during which so many genetic and cultivation difficulties have been solved and tens of thousands of crosses carried out. The mild Riviera climate allows outdoor sowing; only three or four times during the past twenty years was the use of straw shelters necessary. The seedlings don't need transplanting and develop where they have been sown. The range of multicolored varieties I see now in the borders represent the blending of characters chiefly new because they came from botanic species. These types, living evidence that the goal I had in mind was well worth the trouble, are above all an enticement to the future ameliorations for the joy of all who love the roses.

I think these experiences of mine can be shared beyond the Atlantic by my work-fellows whom, in spite of the material distance, I have been brought near by common thoughts and realizations.

From the open-pollinated seeds (F2) of this plant I have the first truly everblooming Banksiae hybrid: a highly fertile botanic specimen on which slightly rose-colored blooms unceasingly appear.	By crossing the seedling (R. banksiae lutescens x Tom Thumb) with the old Noisette Lamarque I have lately obtained a Banksiae type bearing beautiful deep rose colored flowers. Its open-pollinated seeds gave last year some Miniatures producing in profusion flowers of charming colors.