1 94 POT-CULTURE. 



sided ; in February following they may be pruned 

 in closely, i.e. to within two or three buds of the 

 base of each shoot, and remain plunged during 

 the summer ; additional vigour may be given by 

 removing the sawdust or tan from the surface of 

 the pots in March, and substituting rotten manure ; 

 during the summer all suckers must be carefully 

 removed, and in June, July, and August, all luxu- 

 riant shoots shortened, by pinching ojBf their ends, 

 and superfluous shoots nipped in the bud ; so that 

 each plant is made to form a neat compact bush, 

 not too much crowded with shoots. If this is 

 properly attended to, they will scarcely require 

 pruning the following spring ; a few of the shoots 

 may be thinned out, i.e. entirely removed. 

 These plants will require abundance of water in 

 dry hot weather in summer, and once a week in 

 June and July they should be watered with a guano 

 water : 1 lb. to twenty gallons of water will be of 

 sufficient strength ; if not placed on slates, the 

 pots must be removed once a fortnight, to prevent 

 the roots entering the soil underneath the pots 

 which will give them much additional vigour : but 

 the check they receive when removed is very in- 

 jurious ; this must, therefore, be carefully guarded* 

 against. The above treatment is also applicable 

 to Moss and Provence Roses on their own roots, 

 which, when required for forcing, may at once be 

 removed from the plunging-bed, after having re- 

 mained there one summer, to the forcing-house ; 



