114 THE ROSE GARDEN. 



when growing naturally in the garden. Here, as elsewhere, the Rose-grub will 

 require close seeking, for the treatment which causes the production of Roses be- 

 fore their natural time produces him also. 



The red spider is sometimes productive of sad results, for which moisture is 

 the best remedy. Syringe the plants abundantly and daily with tepid soot water, 

 perfectly clear, driving the water with some force against the young leaves through 

 a fine rose-syringe, so as not to bruise or injure them. The pipes may also be 

 washed with sulphur and soot formed into a liquid, laying it on when they are in 

 a warm, not hot state. 



For the destruction of the aphis the usual plan of fumigating with tobacco must 

 be had recourse to, and this upon their first appearance. The atmosphere of the 

 forcing-house seems particularly congenial to them. To-day you will see a few 

 fat comfortable-looking ones stalking up and down the shoots : disregard them for 

 a week, and you will see thousands. To avoid the unpleasant situation of being 

 enveloped in a dense cloud of tobacco-smoke, the following plan is now adopted in 

 many places: a portion of tobacco, judged sufficient for the size of the house, is 

 mixed with an equal portion of damp moss, and placed in a fine wire sieve over 

 charcoal embers. This gradually smoulders away, and the house is filled to per- 

 fection. In a large house a sieve at either end is advisable. Fumigation will 

 require to be repeated frequently ; for if only one or two aphides escape, the house 

 is soon swarming again, and no plant can thrive while covered with these nume- 

 rous sap-suckers. 



The mildew will sometimes appear, and is a pest of no ordinary kind. I have 

 seen the beauty of a house destroyed by it for the season. Sulphur, dusted on the 

 leaves when wet, is the remedy usually applied. Experience and observation tell 

 us that the best preventive, as well as cure, is to keep the atmosphere in a whole- 

 some state. Sudden and violent changes should be avoided. Every effort should 

 be used to keep the plants vigorous and healthy. If they suffer from being 

 crowded, or for want of light and a free circulation of air, they become drawn and 

 weakly, and are very liable to its attacks. On the first appearance of mildew, 

 such as are suffering from it should be removed, to prevent infection. 



During their growth, the plants should be looked through frequently, and the 

 surface of the soil stirred, using due care not to injure the fibrous roots, which 

 often lie near the top in great abundance. At the same time stickers should be 

 removed ; those from the stem cut off close, and the under-ground ones drawn 

 out. 



So soon as the leaves are of fair size, and the flower-buds are forming, a free 

 supply of water is required. Manure water should be given occasionally, not 

 cold, but of the temperature of the house. If worms are troiiblesome, lime water 

 may be administered. 



But the reward of our care is at hand. The buds are strongly formed, and 

 shew colour, and syringing must cease. Now which do we prefer, a great dis- 



