THE CULTURE OF THE TUBE ROSE. 199 



1 OW can I Uoom my Tube Roses ? 

 They grow well, they produce 

 abundance of foliage, healthy 

 as could be desired, but no 

 flowers. Yet their culture is 

 very easy. They will bloom freely with 

 but little care ; yet you must learn hoiu 

 to do it ; and this secret was commu- 

 nicated to us a few years since by an 

 ardent lover of this beautiful flower, 

 who proved it by showing us spikes of bloom with from 

 twenty to thirty flowers. The tube rose is a native of the 

 East Indies, and was introduced about the year 1630. It 

 has since been in general cultivation, and is now grown in 

 all warm climates as an out-door plant ; with us it will not 

 stand the winter. Our dried roots are annually imported 

 from Italy, where they ripen their bulbs in the open air. 



The great want of success in growing this plant is 

 caused by too poor a soil, too little water, and too little 

 heat at the root ; the plant would probably bloom were the 

 latter need supplied, but we are not content to merely 

 bloom a plant, but must bloom it well. 



A hot-bed is necessary : it may be of the simplest kind, 



