HORTICULTURAL SOCIETY. 197 



lutely necessary. In selecting the wood for cuttings, take nothing 

 but clean, healthy shoots, which are free from spider and mildew. 

 When affected with either of the above, they are liable to drop 

 their leaves; once the leaves are dropped, they may as well be 

 thrown out, as they will never amount to much. 



When the cuttings are well calloused, water more sparingly for 

 if they are kept too wet, the roots are apt to be thin and watery. 

 When the roots are from one half to one inch in length, pot off 

 into two inch pots using good light, loam not too rich; place the pots 

 in a light airy position, (avoid all draughts) and keep them shaded 

 in the middle of the day when the weather is bright, and treat 

 them like the cuttings in the bench for a week or more. When 

 the roots show well through the soil, shift up into four inch pots 

 where they may remain until they are set out in the benches. 



To prepare a house for winter blooming, put up benches about 

 five inches deep; make the bottom of six inch boards, laying them 

 one half an inch apart; cover the cracks with thin strips of sod, 

 grass side down, then fill with good, rich soil about three parts 

 loam and one part well rotted cow manure; if the soil is very 

 heavy, a little sand may be added; mix thoroughly; do not screen, 

 but break with a shovel or fork. Set the plants from 14 to 16 

 inches apart each way, press the soil firmly about them, and give a 

 thorough watering. 



The temperature should never go above 70° without giving air. 

 Syringe twice a day and in very hot weather three or four times. 

 Flooding the walk with water will lower the temperature from 10° 

 to 12°. Keep the buds pinched off until September, as flowering 

 the young plants too early is apt to weaken them. Keep all dead 

 leaves pinched off, and the soil well stirred during the summer, 

 and free from weeds. In September, when the days are cool, 

 syringe but once a day in bright, days and never, on cloudy or 

 rainy days. All watering should be done in the forenoon, so as 

 to have a fairly dry atmosphere at night- AVhen the outside tem- 

 perature drops below 50°, a light fire should be started in the 

 evening, especially in wet weather; damp, chilly nights are apt to 

 produce mildew. 



In February liquid manure may be used to good advantage. 

 Put half a bushel of fresh cow manure in fifty gallons of water, 

 stir until dissolved, and let it stand until clear then apply lightly 

 once a week. If the roses are wanted for early spring sale propa- 

 gate in October, pot off in two inch pots and shift into large pots 

 every five or six weeks until the desired size is obt ained. Plants 

 intended for winter blooming in benches, need not be struck until 

 February or March, and may be planted out in benches in June. 

 In the fall, if the plants are affected with mildew apply a little 

 flour of sulphur on the leaves and paint the steam or hot water 

 pipes with a mixture of linseed oil and sulphur; this will keep 

 them clean during the winter. 



For green fly, tobacco is the best remedy. Smoke the house 

 lightly twice a week, or lay tobacco stems on the pipes, renewing 

 them every six or eight weeks. 



