1891.] ESSAYS. 69 



duce plants of rein5irkal)le vigor. A very good niciliod of 

 developing the roots rapidly is to tongue the collar of the hud, 

 hy paring up a strip of the hark ahout one inch long on each 

 side of the collar, and planting this below the surface. 



The leaf of the Manctti is not to a l)eginner very easy to dis- 

 tiniruish from the ordinary rose leaf. The stem after attainino- 

 a little size is of a reddish tinge, brovirn upon the older portion 

 of the stem, generally with seven leaflets, the suckers coming 

 up about the stems, while in the Brier the sucker is likely to 

 extend some distance from the main plant. This latter stock 

 starts late in the spring, which causes the plants to flower later. 

 It is well adapted, for this reason, to the tea rose, which is grown 

 almost entirely in this way in England, and is admirable for bed- 

 ding purposes, growing with great vigor. 



The production of own-root plants is a slow process, attended 

 with considerable labor and expense ; plants for stock must be 

 grown along for one season in pots, in sizes from three to fiv^e 

 inches in diameter. In the summer, these are plunged in the 

 ground to the top of the pot, to prevent the plants from drying 

 up too rapidly ; and they must be kept thoroughly watered, and in 

 a growing condition until August, when water is gradually with- 

 held to ripen the wood, and allow an early start in growth in the 

 autumn. By placing them in what is called a cold frame, that is 

 an ordinary hot-bed, three to four feet deep, without artificial heat, 

 covering with glass and shutters to prevent freezing, and keeping 

 them in this condition from six to eight weeks in a temperature 

 of about 40°, they will slowly start into growth, and when 

 started about one-half inch they can be brought into a higher 

 degree of heat ; in six or eight weeks they will be in fit condition 

 for makino- what is called green wood cuttings. A bed for this 

 purpose should be prepared with coarse, clean sand about three 

 or four inches in depth, into which the cuttings are inserted about 

 one-half inch, and firmly pressed into place ; they must be well 

 watered and shaded from strong sun. These cuttings must be 

 made with a single leaf to start the sap, and cause the cutting to 

 callous before it forms its roots ; this leaf will drop off in about 

 two weeks. A continuous and uniform heat must be kept under 

 the cutting bed, about 70° or 80°, over it about 20° cooler ; it 



