CULTURE OF THE ROSE. 49 



belowthe surface of the ground. The roses may be placed 

 on beds of earth, or on wooden platforms, so arranged as to 

 bring the top of the plants near the glass ; and a sunken 

 path may pass down the middle. The pit may be heated 

 by a stove enclosed with brick-work, and furnished with a 

 flue of brick or tile passing along the front of the pit, and 

 entering the chimney at the farther end. The lights must 

 be movable, or other means provided for ample ventila- 

 tion ; and if these are such that the air on entering will 

 pass over the heated flues, and thus become warmed in the 

 passage, great advantage will result. A pit may be append- 

 ed to a greenhouse ; in which case it may be heated by 

 hot-water pipes furnished with means of cutting off or 

 letting on the water. 



The roses potted for forcing, as directed in the last sec- 

 tion, should be kept in a dormant state till the middle of 

 December. A portion of them may then be brought into 

 the pit, and the young shoots pruned back to two or three 

 eyes. The heat at first must be very moderate, not much 

 exceeding forty-five degrees in the daytime : and, through- 

 out the process, the pit should be kept as cool as possible 

 at night ; great care, however, being taken that no frost is 

 admitted. With this view, the glass should be covered at 

 sunset with thick mats. Syringe the plants as the buds 



