FORCING ROSES. 97 



E. W. Buswell thought that more might be done in the way of 

 forcing hardy flowers than is now, and instanced some blooms of 

 Hemerocallis flava on exhibition. He believed that if more atten- 

 tion were given to ascertaining the adaptability of hardy things to 

 forcing, many beautiful flowers would be found eligible. 



Mr. Hovey read from " The Garden," Vol. IX, p. 185 (February 

 19, 1876), in the weekly calendar of operations, directions to " in- 

 troduce into the forcing houses, from time to time, a few plants 

 of a hardy nature, such as rhododendrons, azaleas, deutzias, lilacs, 

 weigelias, sweetbriars," and plants of that class, showing that it 

 was a common thing in large private establishments. In England 

 these plants are considered more important and often more at- 

 tractive than others of far greater value. 



Mr. Atkinson, being called on by the Chair to give some infor- 

 mation in regard to forcing roses, said that few of us had seen 

 better roses than those shown by Mr. Comley. The rose, or any 

 other plant, to be forced successfully, must be in condition^ which 

 means a great deal with plants, as well as with horses. The ob- 

 ject of the cultivator should be, by careful preparation to bring 

 them into proper condition for forcing. They should not be left 

 until they have to be pried out of the ground with a crow-bar. His 

 practice was, not to neglect the plants after forcing, but to look to 

 them carefully and keep up the growth, and if we do this there is 

 no reason why we should not have as good roses as Mr. Comley's. 

 The great drawback is that the wood does not ripen, and the car- 

 dinal point of success is to get the plant into good condition, with 

 well ripened wood. If you have a spare house, or a spare cold frame, 

 the best way is to bring them on gradually. He had a neighbor 

 who places them in a cold vinery, and whose plants were now a 

 solid sheet of bloom. He plants them out in summer and lifts 

 again in September, subjecting them to a little frost — just enough 

 to kill the foliage. The best soil is a heavy one ; not a clay, but 

 a good, stiff loam, with a little well rotted cow manure and a little 

 sand. The roses exhibited are called Hybrid Perpetuals, but the 

 Noisette, Bourbon, and China roses are so much mixed now, that 

 it is difficult to distinguish the blood of the different classes. 



Mr. Hovey corroborated what had been said by Mr. Atkinson, 

 and added that it was of no use to undertake to cultivate such 

 plants in a mixed collection. The most careful preparation would 



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