DECEMBER: THIRD WEEK 333 



stalks begin to form, occasional applications of liquid 

 manure will add greatly to the strength of the plants. 



Roses as House Plants 



The dwarf roses make charming pot plants and are coming 

 into more favor each year. A number of them are adap- 

 ted to house culture and flower almost all the year round. 

 A number of other roses are used for Christmas sale, but 

 unless they happen to be of the very few varieties adapted 

 to withstand the hardships of house culture there is not much 

 hope of having them for another season's bloom indoors. 



The greatest drawback to growing roses successfully in 

 the house is the dry atmosphere. The plants must be 

 kept clean by syringing the foliage frequently. Cold drafts 

 or any sudden drops in temperature must be avoided, as 

 these usually result in injury to the foliage through mildew. 

 All the care needed by the dwarf roses is the cutting out 

 of old flower spurs, an occasional repotting, and, for an 

 abundance of bloom, the use once in a while of liquid 

 manure, bone flour or wood ashes worked lightly into the top 

 of the soil. In addition to the Baby Rambler, and several 

 of the other "Baby" roses, La France, Hermosa, Agrippina, 

 Clothilde Soupert and Maman Cochet, both white and 

 pink, may with care be grown in the house. 



One way of handling roses is to cut back the old wood 

 quite severely when they are through blooming, and to 

 keep them rather dry and cool so they will remain dormant 

 during summer. In early fall start them into growth and 

 take them into the house as cold weather approaches; or 

 they may be plunged into the ground outside and allowed 

 to grow through the summer until the leaves drop. Then 

 they should be put where they may be brought into the 

 living-room and given heat and water when desired. Slight 

 freezing in the meantime will not hurt them, but it is better 

 to keep them in boxes rather than in pots, both because 

 the earth may be maintained in a more even state of mois- 

 ture, and because there is no danger of boxes cracking in 

 case of a freeze. 



