84 CULTURE OF THE ROSE. 



or four leaves, exclusive of their seed-leaves, they must be 

 carefully raised with the point of a narrow pruning-knife, 

 potted into small pots, and placed in the shade : if the 

 weather be very hot and dry, they may be covered with a 

 hand-glass for a few days. They may remain in those 

 pots a month, and then be planted out into a rich border : 

 by the end of August, those that are robust growers will 

 have made shoots long enough to take buds from. Those 

 that have done so may be cut down, and one or two 

 strong stocks budded with each : these will, the following 

 summer, make vigorous shoots ; and the summer following, 

 if left unpruned, to a certainty they will produce flowers. 

 This is the only method to insure seedling roses flowering 

 the third year : many will do so that are not budded ; but 

 very often the superior varieties are shy bloomers on their 

 own roots, till age and careful culture give them strength. 

 " It may be mentioned here, as treatment applicable to 

 all seed-bearing roses, that, when it is desirable the qualities 

 of a favorite rose should preponderate, the petals of the 

 flower to be fertilized must be opened gently with the 

 fingers.* A flower that will expand in the morning should 



* " It requires some watchfulness to do this at the proper time : if too 

 soon, the petals will be injured in forcing them open ; and in hot weather, 

 in July, if delayed only an hour or two, the anthers will be found to 

 have shed their pollen. To ascertain precisely when the pollen is in a 

 fit state for transmission, a few of the anthers should be gently pressed 

 with the finger and thumb : if the yellow dust adheres to them, the oper- 

 ation may be performed. It requires close examination and some practice 



