JOUKNAL OF HOETICULTUEE AND COTTAGE GARDENER. 



[ Jalr 8, 1866. 



with such fine flowers as the Manetti in the second year alter 

 planting. The Dog Eose is productive of a greater amount of 

 , bloom than the Manetti, so much so on light soils that the 

 Eoses worked on the former only make a few inches of growth 

 and then bloom, the strength of the Briar being expended on 

 the production of suckers, which come thicker and faster as 

 the Kose becomes weaker and the stock older. The Manetti, on 

 the other hand, gives larger blooms, owing to its being a better 

 feeder. 



My object in making these remarks is to learn the experience 

 of others. My own is, 1st, That Eoses on the Briar do well 

 on strong cold soils, and are eligible for groups or otherwise ; 

 but on poor and light soils the Koses on it do not do well 

 either as standards or as dwarfs for groups, on account of their 

 tendency to produce suckers and their shortness of existence. 

 2nd, That the Manetti stock succeeds on either strong or 

 medium-textured soils, and makes a much better plant, and the 

 Eoses worked on it produce finer trusses and blooms, than those 

 either on the Briar or their own roots ; but on light soils it is 

 as short-lived as the Briar, though it grows vigorously for a few 

 years, and much more so than either the Briar or the Eose 

 on its own roots. 3rd, That the Kose on its own roots, though 

 it takes a longer time to make a plant than the Manetti, is 

 more desirable for groups than either the Briar or Manetti on 

 account of its compact growth, its freedom from suckers, and 

 the durability of the plants ; but this applies only to rather 

 light and warm soilst for on strong cold soils Eoses on their 

 own roots do not do well. 



Now, Eoses on their own roots take some time to become 

 established, and they do not grow so freely for a while as when 

 worked on the Manetti stock, and they therefore require very 

 Eberal treatment, particularly where the soil is light and hot, 

 and this is the soil most suitable for most of the Tea-scented 

 and China Eoses. These varieties, as everybody knows, are not 

 so hardy as the Perpetuals, and are often destroyed or killed to 

 the ground by frost, and if they happen to be grafted or budded 

 on the Manetti or Briar very often the Eose is killed ; but if 

 cut off to the ground when on their own roots, they push from 

 the bottom. For groups, I find if Tea, China, and Bourbon 

 varieties, and indeed all Eoses, are to succeed on light soils, it 

 must be by growing them on their own roots, and for the three 

 classes named, a dry soil is particularly suitable, because it 

 does not induce strong late growths, and there is, consequently, 

 less danger of injury from frost. It is a well-known fact, that 

 plants on dry soils will withstand a greater amount of cold than 

 when grown on strong soil. For groups, where the soil is not 

 strong, all kinds of Eoses succeed best on their own roots, 

 and where the soil is light and hot it is the only eligible 

 mode of culture for the more tender classes, as Tea and China 

 Eoses. 



The most suitable season for the propagation of the Eose by 

 cuttings is now at hand, and this should be done when the 

 blooming is past, and before the second growth takes place. 

 Shoots that have bloomed have the wood sufficiently ripe for 

 propagation, and so have those which have not done so, but 

 have formed the terminal bud. The moderately strong shoots 

 are best for cuttings. They should have three joints or buds, 

 and be cut transversely below the lowest one, removing the leaf 

 there, but leaving the others untouched. In taking a shoot for 

 a cutting, cut it about three eyes from the point at which it 

 has its rise on the shoot of last year, and avoid the two upper- 

 most eyes beneath the place where bloom was, as the shoots 

 from these joints or eyes are not generally so free in growth as 

 those situated lower down. The cuttings having been taken 

 off above the uppermost leaf by a slanting cut from the back 

 towards the leaf, and three-quarters of an inch above it, they 

 should be inserted singly in 60-sized pots. In preparing the cut- 

 ting-pans, a piece of broken pot should be placed over the hole, 

 and the pot half filled with crocks broken very small, and passed 

 through a sieve with a quarter-inch mesh ; fill up to the rim 

 with light loam, peat, and silver sand in equal parts, and in the 

 centre of each pot make a hole down to the crocks with a dibble 

 exceeding the cuttings in diameter as little as possible. Drop 

 a little .silver sand into the hole, say from a quarter to half an 

 inch, put in the cutting wish its base resting on the sand, and 

 till up round the cutting with silver sand, then give the pot a 

 sharp tap on the potting-bencb. 



For the reception of the pots a frame placed on a gentle hot- 

 bed of 70°, and covered with from 4 to 6 inches of old tan or 

 sawdust should be in readiness, and in this the pots are to be 

 plunged to the rim. A gentle watering should next be given, 

 and then the lights may be put on. The frame must be kept ' 



close, and shaded from the sun, and the cuttings should be 

 gently sprinkled overhead every moin ug. In a fortnight they 

 will have callused, and new shoots v ill be forming ; these may 

 grow an inch or two, and then the cmtiugs should be transferred 

 to another hotbed, gradually withdrawing the shade, and ad- 

 mitting air daily, so as to have them well hardened off by the 

 end of ten days or a fortnight. They may then be potted into 

 44 -inch pots with the ball entire (crocks and all) in a compost 

 of rich turfy loam, and be again plunged in the bed, and kept 

 rather close for a few days, after which plunge the pots in coal 

 ashes in an open situation, and in September shift the plants 

 into six-inch pots, and plunge these to the rim in coal ashes in 

 a cold frame. If, however, the young plants have grown but 

 little, and the pots are not full of roots, let them remain in 

 4,j-inch pots for the winter. I find that cuttings of Tea, China, 

 and Bourbon Eoses struck in this manner early in summer, 

 make very nice pot plants for blooming in the following year. 

 This is the best of all modes of striking Eose cuttings that I 

 have tried, and answers equally well for Moss Eoses, only they 

 require more time to root, and must remain in the first hotbed 

 fully a week longer than Perpetuals. Provence Eoses also re- 

 quire more patience, so do the Damask Perpetuals. 



Another mode of propagation by cuttings is, when the bloom 

 is just over, to prepaie and pot cuttings as above described, to 

 place them in a cold frame, and keep close and shaded from 

 blight sun, and sprinkled oveihead every morning. They must 

 remain in the frame until they have made shoots 2 inches long, 

 and should then be gradually hardened off, and shifted into 

 larger pots ; those 4J inches in diameter will be large enough. 

 If the varieties are Perpetuals, the plants will do plunged in 

 coal ashes in a dry, open, but sheltered situation, and will be 

 eligible for turning out in spring for groups in the flower 

 garden ; but if they belong to the Tea or China section, it will 

 be well to winter them in a frame, and afford protection during 

 severe weather. By this method the Moss Eoses do not strike 

 with such certainty as the Perpetuals, but root fairly, and so 

 will most of the Tea varieties. 



I have tried placing the cuttings in a bed both with aDd 

 without heat, and covering them with a fiame kept close and 

 shaded, sprinkling them every day ; but, though the cuttings 

 rooted freely, the loss in potting consequent on the injury 

 done to the roots was a greater drawback than the labour 

 saved by not placing them in pots in the first instance. I lost 

 a great many after potting, but scarcely one when they were 

 placed in pots in the cutting state. I can only state my ex- 

 perience, and that is, do not pot them until the following 

 spring if you put the cuttings in a bed without pots, for the 

 roots are so very tender that the least touch will break them, 

 and they turn black and die off at the stem as if from some un- 

 known cause. I am certain that the cuttings do not like to be 

 disturbed so soon after the callosity is formed and the delicate 

 fibrils emitted. 



Another method which I have tried, and shall now describe, 

 is to take cuttings of the well-ripened freth wood by the 

 middle or end of September, and plant them under a hand- 

 glass or in a frame with lights in a warm situation. The cut- 

 tings must have a sprinkling of water occasionally, also shade 

 from bright sun, but when the callosity is foimed, as it will be 

 in a month, give air, and continue to do so in mild humid 

 weather during the winter. In the following April, after 

 having been exposed to the atmosphere, they may be taken up 

 and potted, or planted out finally in the beds. 



The essentials to success are to put in those cuttings only 

 that are taken from shoots which have flowered or foimed the 

 terminal bud or leaf, and this before the shoots have com- 

 menced a second growth ; to avoid deluging them with water, 

 and yet to keep the atmosphere moist and shaded, so as to pre- 

 serve the foliage fresh until the cuttings have rooted, or at 

 least until a callus has been formed ; to be very careful in pot- 

 ting so as not to injure the tender roots ; not to pot or disturb 

 the cuttings until they have rooted and are well hardened off; 

 and, lastly, not to keep the soil very wet after potting. Above 

 all, avoid putting in any spare shoots, sappy, gross, and but 

 partially ripened, for though these root freely, and seem to 

 nourish, their stems turn black and they perish at a time when 

 rapid growth is expected. — G. Abbey. 



Testimonial to the Eev. S. Reynolds Hole. — At a dinner 

 held at Anderton's Hotel, Fleet Street, on Thuisday evening, 

 this gentleman was presented with a handsome silver urn in 



