196 THE AUTUMNAL ROSE GARDEN. 



flowers are very double, and their petals thick, 

 and not liable to fade quickly. About the end 

 of October worked plants should be selected on 

 very straight stems, not more than from six to 

 eight inches in height. Care must be taken that 

 their roots are so formed that each plant may be 

 placed in the centre of the pot: unless this is 

 strictly attended to, they will make but a poor 

 appearance, as might be seen in some of those 

 exhibited at the horticultural shows in the season 

 of 1842. If any of the large roots interfere with 

 the position of the plant in the pot, they may be 

 much shortened, merely tipping the small roots 

 and fibres. 



Stems from six to eight inches may be taken 

 generally as the most eligible height ; but, to form 

 plants for the back row, varieties of the following 

 families may be on stems one foot to eighteen 

 inches ; they will increase the effect ; viz. Hybrid 

 China, Hybrid Bourbon, and Hybrid Perpetuals. 

 Many of these will form, when in full bloom, fine 

 pendulous heads. When plants of the above de- 

 scription have been selected, they may be potted 

 in a compost of nice turfy loam and rotten dung, 

 equal parts ; the loam should, if possible, be more 

 rich and adhesive than that recommended for the 

 plants under greenhouse culture; the pots used 

 should be sixteens, and, if some of the plants are 

 very strong, even a size larger, called twelves, 

 may be used ; these should then be plunged, in 

 the open air on the surface of the soil, in sawdust, 



