78 PEOPAGATION. 



watering. Weeds, too, must be kept down and the 

 surface of the soil kept stirred round each plant. 



Remember when weeding and stirring the soil that 

 there are other trees to come, and the crop will be a 

 most irregular one from April onwards for some time. 



The care of our young hopefuls is not so very 

 exacting, but the dangers are very great, and it is 

 most disappointing to lose a promising young seedling 

 from such an enemy as a worm that will in a night 

 drag It into the earth and destroy it. 



If the soil shows signs of the presence of earth- 

 worms, which presence is easily detected by their 

 casts; as soon as it is dry give a watering with lime- 

 water for two nights following, and they will disap- 

 pear. Shading and watering should not be carried 

 too far, as it only promotes mildew, which is the most 

 deadly enemy of the Rose, and which must be checked 

 the moment it appears by a dusting of flowers of 

 sulphur. If your charges shown signs of mildew, 

 choose a mild day, and water with a fine rose prior to 

 dusting the trees. 



Some of the Autumn Roses will flower the first 

 year, but the Summer kinds will not flower for two 

 or even three years. In any case, let the grower 

 possess his soul in patience, and pinch off all buds, 

 thus imparting to his trees extra strength, for little 

 knowledge beyond colour can be obtained from first 

 flowers in the open. No true idea can be formed as 

 to size and shape until the trees have been pruned 

 and are well grown, and then nearly all are subject to 

 great improvement by budding and grafting 6h suit- 

 able stocks. It is wisest to leave the trees undis- 

 turbed in their seed-beds until the following March, 

 unless they are too crowded, when they may be care- 

 fully lifted and transplanted into rich soil. As soon 

 as the trees are large enough they may be pruned at 

 the rig^ht season of the year, and in cutting back re- 

 move all unripened shoots and shorten to three or four 

 eyes all well-developed and ripened wood. The grower 

 of seedlings should always keep a good stock of briars 



