ROSES UNDER GLASS. 159 



on the narrow side, and should not exceed five feet in 

 width, but four feet is the best, especially where many 

 trees have been attended to. The sides of the bench 

 will be six inches deep, and When filled with soil, the 

 top of the soil should come level with the bottom of 

 the glass in the sides of the house that extend below 

 the roof right round the house. 



A four-foot-wide bench will take four rows of 

 trees planted sixteen inches apart, and they may be 

 grown for several years on such a bench without being 

 disturbed. 



Before planting the trees the benches should 

 have a good coating of limewash, and the soil should 

 be brought into the house in a fairly dry condition. 

 Plant your trees in line, and pound down carefully the 

 soil round the trees with a piece of wood, leaving a 

 slight hollow or hole near the stem for watering the 

 trees without wetting all the soil in the bed. When 

 all the trees are planted give a good soaking to settle 

 the soil all round, and then do not water again until 

 the soil is on the dry side, but syringe freely several 

 times a day, and damp down the floor to maintain a 

 humid atmosphere. Avoid the over-watering of the 

 soil on the benches, else it may get sour, and every 

 now and again rake very carefully over the surface 

 to aerate the soil and conserve the moisture. As the 

 plants grow increase the supply of water, and watch 

 very carefully the ventilation of the house. See that 

 your benches have good drainage, so that if you do 

 give all your trees a good soaking the water will run 

 off freely. The same laws 'hold good for the growing 

 of all Roses under glass, but possibly those actually 

 planted in large beds in the house have greater advan- 

 tages for doing well. If only gardeners would nail 

 up over the door of every greenhouse the three words, 

 Temperature, Ventilation, Water, and attend to the 

 demands of each, they would never have any cause to 

 worry. 



