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open. How much shade is necessary will depend upon locality ; 

 in hot places it must be thicker, in cool places less thick. The 

 point is to keep your plant cool and comfortable. The shade had 

 better be left on for some weeks, and finally lightened by degrees, 

 instead of throwing it all off on one day. Pieces of palm-leaves 

 make excellent shade, and few things are better than Umbrella 

 Grass (Cyperus). 



If the weather is dry, water must be given every day or two. 

 On no account allow the young plants to flower. This requires a 

 little self-denial. We are so anxious for quick results, and if the 

 rose is one that we do not know, we want to see what it is like. 

 Resist temptation and ruthlessly nip off all buds, or you will have 

 poor, weak plants. 



If the soil is naturally rich, the plants will go on well for some 

 time, but if they look poor, manure may be given, and if large 

 flowers are wanted, the roses must have liberal treatment. Indeed, 

 when they are established bushes, they may get as much manure 

 as can be spared. A mulch, spread thick, is always a benefit 

 when they have emerged from babyhood and come to years of 



discretion. 



To those who are choosing roses from catalogues the followmg 

 hints may be useful. Never attempt to grow any of the Hybrid 

 Perpetuals ; they do not like Jamaica. People often make the 

 mistake of wanting to grow what others have not got. They see 

 Tea Roses everywhere, and long perhaps for the sight and scent 

 of old favourites of their youth at home. But let them put away 

 this vain longing. The result of indulging it will be a forest of 

 sticks, no leaves, very rarely a flower, and a bush that looks ut- 

 terly miserable. 



Of Hybrid Teas some do well, but most require a good deal of 

 attention and care. In a country where we cannot have the old 

 cabbage rose we are unwilling to be without the next best smell, 

 and so we grow La France. It gives good enough flowers, but 

 the bush never looks quite healthy. Captain Christy does better, 

 and is decidedly worth growing. The much-vaunted and much- 

 advertised Griiss an Teplitz does fairly well, but those who have 

 a keen sense of colour will much prefer the glorious old Chinas, 

 Cramoisi Superieur, and its smaller, even more beautiful and 

 sweeter, relation, Gloire des Rosomanes. These are both very 

 common in Jamaica and are easily propagated, cuttings seldom 

 missing. Madame Alfred Carriere does remarkably well and is 

 one of the loveliest of roses in the eyes of those who care more 

 for pure beauty than show, and the scent is delicious. Madame 

 Ravary is so beautiful that it should be tried at high elevations ; it 

 seems to be impatient of heat. Papa Gontier is very fine and strong, 

 and the buds are perfect ; but no one with an eye for colour can 

 admit it into any part of his garden. It was with great regret 

 that I did away with a rose that has such remarkable strength and 

 vio-our and healthiness of leaf, but the colour of the fully-expanded 



