90 GRAFTING THE ROSE. 
begin to bloom by the end of June. It will make a fine bedding 
plant, its fine orange-scarlet flowers being highly ornamental. It 
grows bushy, from one to two feet high.—-Magazine of Gardening. 
ON DESTROYING THE WIRE-WORM. 
Most Ranunculus growers have had to suffer by the attacks of wire- 
worms. The following simple plan has saved my roots from their 
ravages for seven successive years :— 
I alway s prepare my compost early in the autumn, J lay it in large 
heaps, well exposed to the frost; in the winter, so soon as the frost is 
sufficiently severe to freeze these compost heaps to the depth of one or 
two inches, I then take off all the frozen parts, and remove it to an 
exposed situation, and I renew this operation every two or three days 
so long as the frost continues, until I have got as much as I require 
for the beds. In the month of February I break the soil fine, and fill 
the beds from twelve to fiteen inches deep, which I consider a sufticient 
depth for the roots of the Ranunculus. The begiuning of March is 
the time which I prefer for planting ; this is four or five weeks later 
than is generally practised. I always steep the roots in water for six 
or eight hours before planting them; by experience of this method I 
find that the roots begin to vegetate as soon as they are planted, and 
come equally as early into bloom as those which were planted much 
earlier, and by this mode of treatment I find that the crowns or tops of 
the roots are not so liable to be killed by the frost as those which are 
planted in January or February. The soil which I use for the growth 
of Anemones, Carnations, and Pinks, I treat exactly in the same 
manner, as I find that the wire-worm is equally as destructive to the 
roots of these as it is to the Ranunculus. 
GRAFTING THE ROSE. 
BY ROSA. 
Tue following method of cultivating the Rose by grafting, is very 
interesting and successful, as well as having the advantage of economy, 
as you make use of the cuttings of the pruned trees, which would 
otherwise be lost. It must be remembered, however, that it should 
only be practised upon free well-rooted stocks, as otherwise the delay 
in the rising of the sap, and the uncertainty of the supply, frequently 
defeat the purpose. Grafting, therefore, should succeed budding on 
the same stock, not precede it; as a bud failing on the stock, if the 
branch be not destroyed while the sap is up, leaves the stock still 
vigorous in the ground; if therefore you wish to try this mode, it 
should be upon stocks that have had a spring to root themselves. 
The points to be desired are, that the barks of scion and stock should 
be cut quite smooth, and not separated from the wood they grow upon ; 
that neither should be bruised; when they are put together they should 
fit close; a supply of sap should commence as soon as possible; that 
all sun, wind, and rain should be kept from the wound ti!l healed, and 
a 
