FORCING OF ROSES. 185 



elegant plants, and I think generally grow with 

 greater luxuriance than dwarfs. China and Tea- 

 scented Koses -on their own roots are more deli- 

 cate, and require more care; still one crop of 

 flowers may always be depended upon, even from 

 them: instead of forcing them for a second crop, 

 it will be better to place them in the greenhouse, 

 they will then bloom again finely in May. I 

 find, from experience, that all the Autumnal Koses 

 may be forced every year without any disad- 

 vantage: to ensure their well-doing, they must 

 be removed from the forcing-house early in June, 

 the surface of the pots dressed with rotten manure, 

 and plunged in the same, or leaves, or any light 

 substance. Towards the end of August they 

 should be carefully shifted removing a portion 

 of the earth from their roots and loosening the 

 ball of earth and roots by pressing it with the 

 fingers into a compost of light loam and rotten 

 dung, two-thirds of the former to one-third of the 

 latter (this is, on the whole, the very best compost 

 for potted roses), watered, and again plunged till 

 required for forcing : this shifting would be better 

 performed in June ; but, as the weather is then 

 often hot and dry, roses worked on the Dog 

 Rose are apt to suffer. Pots of the sizes called 

 near London 24's and 16's* are the best sizes for 



* The respective sizes of these pots are, 24's, 7^ inches deep, 

 and 8 inches over, measuring across the top of the pot ; 16's, 8 

 inches deep, 9 inches in diameter. 



