178 PROPAGATION OF AUTUMNAL ROSES. 



rare sorts two buds will do, or even one ; in the 

 latter case, the bud must have the leaf attached, 

 and a small portion of wood below the bud ; it 

 must be inserted in the pot so that the bud is 

 slightly covered with the mould. The pots should 

 then be plunged in sawdust or old tan, into a 

 gentle hotbed, and kept perfectly close, sprinkled 

 with tepid water every morning, and shaded from 

 the sun. In about a fortnight they will have 

 taken root ; but they must not be removed from 

 this close frame till they have made a shoot from 

 one to two inches in length. They are then safe, 

 and may be removed into another frame, still with 

 gentle heat, and have air every day to harden 

 them. In a week they will be fit to pot into larger 

 pots, and they may then be removed into the 

 greenhouse or cold frame, as convenient, till re- 

 quired for planting out in the borders in April 

 and May : the pots used for the above purpose 

 are very small, 2-J inches deep and 1 J inch over 

 at the top ; if more convenient, three or five 

 cuttings may be placed round the side of a larger 

 sized pot, 3J inches deep by 3 inches over. This 

 method saves some trouble, but the plants are apt 

 to be checked when potted off; pots of the latter 

 size must be filled one-third with broken pieces 

 of pots, on which the base of the cuttings should 

 rest ; the small pots require no drainage. 



For summer cuttings in June and July, from 

 plants growing against walls or in the open borders, 



