12 THE FLORIST AND rOMOLOGSIST. [January, 



the cuttings with the foot, and should a mild spring follow, a large per-centage of 

 them will grow, and make good plants of the best description, being on their own 

 roots. Some kinds strike freely in this way, such as the Gloire de Dijon ; and 

 here I would recommend those amateurs who love Eoses, and wish to have a 

 succession of beautiful flowers for many months, to plant this sort largely. It does 

 well any way — worked on the briar as a standard, or on its own roots as a bush, 

 either trained up a pillar, or, better still, planted and trained against a south wall. 

 A plant of this rose against my cottage has at the present time (December 14) 

 upwards of one hundred blooms more or less expanded, and should mild weather 

 continue so long, I shall be able to cut a number of splendid blooms for 

 Christmas Day from this one plant, from which I have been cutting blooms 

 regularly since April last. Souvenir d'un Ami is another beautiful, free-blooming, 

 Tea-scented Rose. The Hybrid Perpetuals are a splendid class of Eoses, and masses 

 of them furnish a succession of deliciously fragrant flowers from early summer to 

 mid- winter. Briars and Manetti Stocks for working next season should be 

 panted ; Roses may also be planted, as well as hardy trees and shrubs of all kinds. 



Tender plants under glass will now require a good deal of attention. Inex- 

 perienced amateurs of tern make great mistakes at this season through improper 

 watering, and " coddling " their plants so as to excite them into weakly growth. 

 No instructions are equal to a little experience in these matters. 



To keep plants healthy, they should remain in a state of rest as much as 

 possible during this month, giving no more fire-heat than is sufficient to keep 

 out the frost, giving an abundance of air whenever the state of the weather 

 permits, and watering only when they require it, but then giving sufficient to 

 moisten the whole of the soil in the pot. Bedding plants kept during the 

 winter in pits or frames will need very little water ; they should be frequently 

 looked over, and have all the decaying leaves picked off ; they should have plenty 

 of air at all favourable opportunities, and should be well covered up at night. 



In the Vegetable department there is nothing very urgent to be attended to 

 at present, besides making a sowing of Early Peas and Beans ; but in the Fruit 

 department a great deal may be done if the weather is mild. The pruning of 

 fruit trees should be forwarded as much as possible, and fruit trees of all kinds 

 may be planted, though I prefer the autumn season for this latter operation. 



As amateurs are often at a loss what varieties of fruit to plant, I will men- 

 tion a few which, if the soil and situation are at all favourable, will give satis- 

 faction : — Kitchen Apfles : Lord Suffield, Large Cockpit, Dumelow's Seedling : 

 where there is only room to plant three trees, I strongly recommend these 

 sorts, as they grow freely, and bear most abundantly, seldom failing if the trees 

 are properly managed. The Lord Suffield is one of the earliest kitchen apples, 

 and continues good till November ; then the Cockpit is in fine condition until 

 February, and Dumelow's Seedling is good late into June. If there be room for 

 six trees, I would plant two of each of the above-named sorts ; and if there be 



