SUMMER PRUNING THE ROSE. 201 



who would hardly tolerate any other in his garden, so attached was he 

 to it, whether for the flower or the name it bore is not quite certain ; 

 but at any rate he did not mind paying five shillings each for two dozen 

 plants, and to this day he still keeps some in his possession. Mr. 

 Foster's flowers this year were Erectum, three guineas, a fine orange- 

 tinted variety, very much exhibited afterwards ; Bridegroom, three 

 guineas, a well-contrasted variety, having light lower and dark upper 

 petals, but the heavy blotch of the present day was wanting ; Firefly, 

 Florence, Lady^Douro, and Jessica, each sent out at two guineas, 

 are entirely forgotten now. Not so are the same raiser's celebrated 

 Sylph and Matilda, each of which were priced at three guineas, and 

 noble flowers they were, of a beautiful rosy-flesh ground, with a small 

 but distinct spot on the upper petals, and both of such fine habit and 

 freedom of bloom as still to be retained in some collections to the pre- 

 sent time ; indeed, nothing in the same way has since appeared to take 

 their place. The same remark also applies to Bassett's Priory Queen, 

 sent out "at two guineas, still grown by some, there being no other 

 similar variety, its colour a light lively pink. Gaines's Grand Duke, 

 sent out at five guineas, was in much favour ; it was a heavy crimson 

 flower, but of bad form. Annette, a good white, also appeared at 

 one guinea, Gaines's Emperor at two guineas, and the same raiser's 

 Masterpiece at three guineas. One other variety must be mentioned, 

 as it was a bright addition — Catleugh's Orange-Boven, sent out at 

 one guinea ; this was the nearest approach at that time to what are 

 now termed " scarlet flowers," and could have only been tolerated, as 

 many are now-a-days, for the intensity of colour, as it was very faulty 

 in every other respect. 



SUMMER PRUNING THE ROSE. 



BY A COUNTRY CURATE. 



Last summer I read in your Magazine the recommendation of Rosa to 

 allow some shoots of last year's production to remain unpruned till 

 spring ; and after such had pushed new shoots, two or three inches 

 long, then to cut away the entire portion of the shoot of last year's 

 producing, down so as only to leave it two (or three at most) buds upon 

 it. Thus by cutting-in, a fresh production of new shoots is induced, 

 and they furnish a display of Roses after the early ones are over, and 

 the blooming season of such Hoses is prolonged. This spring I adopted 

 the method, and find it to realize what was stated. This improvement 

 in Rose culture, however, suggested to my mind the propriety of 

 cutting-in, upon all my early blooming Roses, some of the most 

 vigorous shoots of the present (1851) year's producing, and which 

 had had flowers upon them, or otherwise, and they would most likely 

 push new shoots, which would produce bloom at a later period tins 

 summer ami autumn. I, therefore, looked over my Roses, and two or 

 three of the strongest on each bush was cut-in, such as had bloomed an 

 inch or two below the flowers, and those not having had flowers about 

 one-third was cut away. This was done the middle of May, and now, 



