288 MISCELLANEOUS INTELLIGENCE. 



covered with roses : if a little attention is paid to colour, a very pleasing effect 

 may be produced. The young shoots intended for the next season are allowed 

 to grow erect, and have the full influence of light and air. My reason for this 

 kind of pruning is, that, as rose trees usually begin to grow early, the first 12 

 inches of a shoot 3 feet long are produced when the soil is moist and ihe sutl 

 has but little power; the second 12 inches are added when the soil is becom- 

 ing drier, and the sun has greater influence, in June, July, and August, and on 

 this part of the shoot the best flower-buds are formed ; the last growth takts 

 place in the autumn, when the days decrease in length, and consequently this 

 part of the shoot is not well matured. Roses should always be thinned in 

 summer, to increase the strength of those shoots intended to produce flowers 

 next season. In November I cut back the arched branches, and cover the ground 

 with a coat of well rotten dung, and in the spring peg down the young shoots, as 

 above described. — Rosa. 



Propagation of Pinks. — The pink is propagated by afriend of mine, something 

 after the manner in which the vine is coiled. He makes the soil much firmet 

 than is usually done in the general manner of piping. He does not use a dibber 

 to plant with, but the fore-linger, but lays the lower end of the slip horizontally 

 upon the surface of the soil, and so presses it down into it ; when, from the 

 firmness of the soil, the slip is compelled to clip round the end of the finger, with 

 the other hand he turns upthe top to its perpendicular, and presses the lower end 

 down till the tail is about half an inch beneath the soil ; he then makes the soil 

 firm, and the operation is complete. If the slips are too h>ng, he cuts them up to 

 a joint, to a suitable length. He has slipped off hundreds, and have not even 

 cutoff the rag left on in slipping, and by the above process not one cutting has 

 failed ; yet it is better that the ragged end be cut off, either with a sharp knife 

 or with scissors, which is generally the most expeditious method. Not more 

 than one in a hundred fails. — Diantiius. 



Curious and beautiful Roses, Messrs. Rivers, Sawbridoe worth. — Among 

 the Chinas were several valuable for their changeable properties, opening of a 

 light rose, then becoming darker, and finally dying oft' quite crimson; the 

 varieties that possess this singularity are Belle Isidore, Etna, Rubens, Camellia 

 Panache, and Virginie. An Italian variety called Manetti, of strong growth, 

 has been found to make an excellent stock for Teas and Chinas. Among the 

 finest things that we saw, was a quarter of dwarf Rose du Roi, growing and 

 flowering with the greatest luxuriance ; they made the surrounding air '• redo- 

 lent with Roses." A number of interesting experiments on different 

 manures have been tried, and the following are the results up to this 

 time: — Lance's humus is a much better top-dressing for Roses than ammonia; 

 half-inch bone-dust is an excellent manure for Tea and China Roses planted 

 in a close soil, in consequence of its acting mechanically as drainage, as 

 well as a manure; nitrate of soda as a top-dressing for seed-beds of Spruce Fir, 

 killed them all ; but Lance's humus put on some beds of young Elms, has 

 accelerated their growth considerably. We observed a very ingenious method 

 for preserving seeds in pots from mice and birds, or preventing them being 

 washed out by rain, as well as equalising the temperature ; it consisted of a 

 circular plate of burnt clay, about the same thickness as the pot, perforated 

 with holes ; it is laid on the top of the pot when the seeds are sown. One of 

 the houses was heated by means of an Arnott's stove, with a pan of hot water 

 placed on the top of it, connected with an air-chamber; by this means a gentle 

 bottom-heat is obtained, as well as a moist atmosphere. Another house, about 

 fifty-six feet long, was also heated with a 20-inch Arnott's stove ; this house was 

 ventilated by means of wooden shutters placed behind and in front, the top-lights 

 being fixed on the top of the 4-inch brick walls, without plates or rafters. A 

 large collection of hardy plants is grown here, and there are handsome specimens 

 of some of the kinds, particularly a large Fern-leaved Beech close to the house, 

 which is, indeed, quite a tree ; and the original plant of Quercus Turneri, which 

 is, without doubt, a seedling. Sahx Americana pendula, grafted standard high, 



