278 



FOREIGN NOTICES. 



shoots after pruning had taken place. Hence, 

 when some years ago I grew a number of China, 

 and Tea, and Bourbon roses, to bloom in a warm 

 conservatory from Christmas to April, the first 

 flowering ones, when done with, were removed to 

 a pit, where they were protected from frost. In 

 April or May they were repotted into fibry loam, 

 enriched with old cow-dung, and kept in the pit 

 until the roots had nearly filled the pots, when 

 they were placed right in the sun in June and 

 July, plunged in coal ashes, the flowers being 

 chiefly removed, set against a north wall in Au- 

 gust, kept rather dry, pruned by cutting-in the 

 strong shoots in September, returned to a warm 

 spot in the sun when the buds swelled, placed ul- 

 timately in the pit, and watered freely with ma- 

 nure-water, and then transferred to the warmest 

 and lightest part of the conservatory towards the 

 end of October. 



Other successions just require less trouble. For 

 instance, to bloom freely in March, the plants 

 should be repotted in summer, shaded for a time 

 from the sun, and then exposed to its influence, 

 watered freely, the points of the shoots nipped, 

 just to swell but not burst or break the lower 

 buds, the pots plunged in ashes, old tan, &,c.. 

 pruned in October, defended from frost, set in a 

 heat of 45° in December, and gradually increased 

 to 55° and 60°. 



To bloom in April and May, the plants should 

 be repotted in summer, plunged in a non-conduct- 

 ing medium, and, in the case of all the tenderer 

 kinds the tops should be protected with fern, and 

 be pruned in February, and then be gradually 

 brought forward. Hardy kinds, about which there 

 was no danger, had better be pruned in the end of 

 autumn, as the buds would thus be better swelled. 

 Without the half of all this trouble, we have had 

 a good show in winter and spring, by merely 

 thinning out the older wood, and giving rich top- 

 dressing and manure-watering always several de- 

 grees higher than the air of the house, but I never 

 had such a mass of flowers at one time. 



Our correspondent will now judge for himself 

 whether he will prune or not. If he can protect 

 them, the sooner he does it the better. As to 

 potting now, we decisively say no ! because, with- 

 out using artificial heat to plunge in, the roots 

 would not be sufficiently in advance to cause the 

 buds to break stronglv, more especially if you wish 

 for early flowers. Here the matter is very dif- 

 ferent from out-door planting. If partly pruned, 

 as recommended by Mr. Beaton the other week, 

 and then some time afterwards transplanted, there 

 is plenty of time for fresh roots to be formed be- 

 fore a demand is made upon them by the shoots 

 in April and May. Instead of potting, our cor- 

 respondent should remove the surface soil, top- 

 dress and give plenty of liquid manure when they 

 are commencing growth, and afterwards. By 

 these applications, a rose-plant, if the drainage is 

 right, and the roots are prevented getting into the 



plunging material, may be kept in vigorous health 

 for years in the same pot. 



The questions, " whether the plants should be 

 taken into the green-house, when should they be 

 taken in, or should they be plunged out of doors?" 

 have been indirectly answered. If late flowers 

 this year or early ones in 1851 are desired, prune 

 out the smaller twigs and house them at once, if 

 you have no turf or other cold pit to transfer them 

 to. If spring flowers are what are wanted, keep 

 them plunged and mulched out of doors, raising 

 the mulch in a cone over the pit, so as to throw 

 ofl" a portion of very heavj' rains; and unless you 

 are certain of the perfect hardiness of your varie- 

 ties, do not prune until you wish to start them, 

 by removing them under shelter, but rather tie 

 some fern or twiggy branches of spruce over their 

 heads. Cottage Gardener. 



Roses. — For many years past I have gone over 

 all our Perpetual roses about the middle of Sep- 

 tember, with a pair of gloves and a sharp knife, 

 and Gfive every one a particular kind of pruning; 

 and i find the plan so very useful, that I would no 

 more put it off", or do it earlier in the season, than 

 I would give up pruning roses altogether. I be- 

 lieve one-half the best rose growers do the same, 

 but, somehow or other, the thing has not become 

 fashionable enough to be treated of in books or 

 magazines ; but I rejoice to see that many more 

 things which we treat of for the first time in this 

 — our friend The Cottage Gardener — soon take 

 root, and wings and spread among our brethren — 

 on principle, no doubt — for the good of others. 

 If for no other reason, therefore, I would strongly 

 recommend this subject to all gardeners, from the 

 palace down to ourselves, as one of the most use- 

 ful joints in the machinery for growing good late 

 roses; we cut roses here from the open ground 

 generally up to or down to Christmas; and I am 

 quite sure that with a little pains now, there are 

 many rose lovers who may gratify their taste, by 

 taking a leaf out of our book. 



Like evervthing else that is done in a garden, 

 this should be performed, year by year, on some 

 fixed plan. If you put a man to count straws 

 onl}', you ought to make him do it, or tell him how 

 to do it, systematically; and not allow him to put 

 the counted ones in the bundle heads and tails. 

 Money is no more the root of all evil than system 

 is the root and branches of good gardening, and 

 of good everything else that we do. Well, then, 

 this system of managing to have lots of roses late 

 in the season, is to begin about the end of May, 

 when the flower-buds are three parts grown, and 

 you can see which of them promise to have the 

 finest blown roses; many of the •' green centres'' 

 can then be detected; and if an insect or grub has 

 nibbled the buds, that also can be seen, with other 

 imperfections, if there be any. All such buds are 

 pulled, or rather cut clean out with a knife — for I 

 dislike very much pulling about anv talant or part 



