CHRISTMAS LOSES. 223 



then cut off their bloom-stalks and any flower-buds 

 that remain, and plant them out in a rich border. 

 The plants may be subjected to this treatment 

 year after year, increasing the size of the pots to 

 a small extent, so as always to stint their spring 

 growth, for the roots of the plants will of course 

 increase in bulk, and will in due course require 

 8 -inch pots ; it must, however, be a point observed, 

 to give them as small pot-room as possible, that 

 the early summer energies of the plant may be 

 arrested. 



I have, as it will be seen, pointed out thin- 

 petalled roses for this culture. I do this from 

 observation only, for at this moment I have a bed 

 of the very old Rose Gloire de Rosamene in full 

 bloom, and its flowers, instead of being flaccid and 

 poor, as they are in summer, are globular, from not 

 being expanded, and quite beautiful. I have also 

 observed that some of the condemned new roses 

 growing in the same bed as L'Etoile du Nord 

 have very double flowers and thick petals ; these 

 have bloomed very imperfectly. 



CHRISTMAS ROSES 



EVERY cultivator of the rose is well acquainted 

 with the difficulty of having roses in bloom in 

 the 'dark and dreary' month of December. I 



