22 THE FLORIST AND POMOLOGIST. [ JANCABY 



print ; it originated here, and may be of interest to many cultivators, for its success is certain. 

 About the middle to the end of September prepare your cuttings as follows : — Take shoots of 

 Roses full of life, and vigorous, with say live leaves ; remove three of these, and leave two, 

 cutting otY the lower part of the cutting near the bud with a sharp knife ; then take pots 4 to 

 5 inches in diameter, and fill them to one-fourth their depth with decayed (a year old) cocoa- 

 nut fibre, then place five or six cuttings rovmd the inside of the j)ot, resting on it the lower 

 ends, thrust through the fibre at the bottom of the pot, then fill up the pot with the same kind of 

 fibre, and press it well down. A piece or two of broken pot should be put at the bottom of each 

 pot for drainage. Their after management is of great consequence, for on that depends success, 

 or the contrary ; nothing can be more simple. Place the pots of cuttings out of-doors in full 

 sunshine, unless the autumn is particularly hot and dry, they can then go in the shade for a 

 week or so. They may stand in this exposure till the end of Xovember, or even later if the 

 autumn be mild ; and if in October the weather be dry and sunny, they should be sprinkled 

 with water morning and afternoon, so as to keep the leaves fresh and tolerably green. At 

 the end of November or middle of December, if mild (all depending on weather), the jsots 

 should be placed in a frame or cool green-house, and have plenty of air till they put forth 

 their leaves and roots, when they may bo potted or planted out. Formerly, as is well known, 

 the cuttings of Pelargoniums were struck in heat with much trouble and often great loss ; 

 they are now propagated after the method I have recommended for Roses with unvarying 

 success. This is my Rose secret, to which the Rose world is most welcome. I may mention 

 that Climbing Roses, Hybrid China Roses, the hardy Tea Roses, the Bourbon Roses, the 

 hardy Noisette Roses, and, above all, the Hybrid Perpetuals, are all amenable to this mode of 

 propagation. 



She friends of Mr. Philip Frost of Dropmore have just presented liini 



■witli a testimonial, as a memento of liis having attained his 50th year of service 



in the Dropmore Gardens. The presentation took place at Slough, on the 12tli 



lilt. The testimonial consisted of a handsome silver cup, value £25, on which were engraved 

 figures of the world-famed Dropmore specimens of Araucaria imbrieata and Abies Douglasii. 

 To this was added a sum of about £200, with which the Committee decided to purchase Mr. 

 Frost an annuit3\ May he live long to enjoy it! 



GARDEN WORK FOR JANUARY. 



FLOWERS. 



fg^IGGING, manuring, scarifying, renewing soils and composts, or changing the 



&J\ arrangement or form of the flower quarters and beds, is now the chief out- 

 ^r^r) of-door work. Yet a few flowers will cheer our labour ; the Christinafs 



>^^ Rose., the golden Aconite., the silver Snowch'op., and even in warm nooks 

 ip^ the earl}^ Crocuses an.l Tulips, will gladden our eyes, and perhaps need a 

 little care. The Rose, Aconite, and Snowdrop, when planted in fat patches in a 

 warm corner, deserve a hand-glass or cloche in severe weather, to forward the flowers 

 and preserve their fine and delicate beauty. Tulips, too, should be surfaced with 

 spent tan or cocoa refuse, to save their tops from frost-nips as they pierce the soil. 

 Then the earliest Forget-fne-not (Mi/osotis dissitijlora)., and the A ubrietias., with 



Violets, well-grown Daisies., and eaiiy Primroses will be peeping forth, and are 

 much assisted by having the soil stirred gently among them. In open weather 

 the digging of borders should be completed, if not done in the autumn. Beware 

 of sparrows and peacocks among the early-springing bulbs and flowers ; the latter 

 will bag a hundred tender Crocus flowers in embryo, and five hundred budding 

 Primroses in a few hours. They must be driven hence. As to the sparrows, 

 there is no better antidote than a thin invisible thread about a foot over the 

 Crocuses, or a liberal application of soot-powder. 



In-Doors. — All Bedding plants ought to rest throughout the month, unless 

 the stock is short of any particular thing ; even then little is gained by begin- 

 ning to propagate too soon. With the increase of light, strength, i.e. rooting 

 force or multiplying power becomes immensely increased ; and from February to 

 the middle of May almost anything in the way of propagation is possible. As. 



