232 EARLY SPUING ROSES, 



spring; then cut all the weak shoots and shorten 

 all those that are strong and vigorous to within 

 five or six buds of their base. A moderate-sized 

 tree, whether dwarf or standard, will furnish from 

 five to seven of these vigorous shoots. They will, 

 soon after being pruned, put forth niunerous 

 young blooming spurs ; in October thin out these 

 spurs so that the tree is not crowded, and pinch 

 off the bloom buds, giving no other pruning, 

 and in spring they will reward you with a crop of 

 flowers earlier by ten days than roses managed in 

 the usual way. I have seen them from a fort- 

 night to three weeks earlier ; in 1 848 they were 

 in full bloom on May 14th. 



A VEEY OLD EOSE-TREE. 



When at Cologne in July 1857, I heard from a 

 friend residing there, that a rose-tree existed at 

 Hildersheim, which was planted by Charlemagne. 

 I thought it a fable, and most unfortunately 

 passed by Hildersheim without calling to search 

 into the matter. Resting some time at Leipsic 

 with a literary friend, I made further enquiries, 

 and through him have just received the following 

 account from his friend at Hildersheim. The 

 present size and description of this remarkable 



