CULTURE OF THE ROSE. 55 



provided the spaces between them are well packed with 

 tan, coal-ashes, or swamp-moss. The last is excellent : it 

 holds moisture like a sponge. In every case, the pots 

 should rest on flat bricks, slates, tiles, or inverted pans, in 

 order that worms may be excluded, and that the roots 

 may not be tempted to thrust themselves through the 

 hole. In potting, thorough drainage should be secured by 

 placing broken crocks at the bottom of the pot. 



Encourage the growth of the plants by pinching off the 

 flower-buds. The object throughout the summer is to get 

 a few stout well-ripened shoots by autumn. Therefore the 

 pots should not be very close together, since this would 

 deprive the plants of free air and sunlight. Watering 

 must be carefully attended to. Cut out, or pinch off, weak 

 or ill-placed shoots ; or, what is better, prevent their growth 

 by rubbing off the buds that threaten to form such. Thus, 

 if several buds are crowded together in one place, rub off 

 all but one or two of them, choosing the strongest for 

 preservation. This is called dis-budding. Those of the 

 plants that grow most vigorously will require to be shifted 

 into still larger pots in July; but this should be done 

 only in cases where it is necessary. As a guide on this 

 point, turn them carefully out of the pots to examine the 

 roots; and, if these are found protruding in great abun- 



