n8 THE ROSE. 



material, about four inches in depth. The 

 plants should be syringed once a day to keep 

 them healthy ; if the surface of the soil be- 

 comes green carefully remove it and fill up 

 with fresh soil. When the pots are filled 

 with roots we give the final shift for the sea- 

 son, using eight, nine, or ten-inch pots ac- 

 cording to the size and strength of the plant. 

 If it is desired to grow the plants on benches, 

 out of pots, this last shift is not used. For 

 this purpose the side benches should not ex- 

 ceed three feet six inches in width, and next 

 the front should be twelve or fourteen inches 

 from the glass. The benches must be so 

 made as to hold five or six inches of soil, and 

 the bottom boards laid one-half inch apart, 

 so as to secure good drainage; over the 

 cracks are placed thin sods, the grass side 

 downward ; these prevent the soil from being 

 washed away by watering. The first bench 

 being nearer the glass than the others should 

 be used for the more delicate growing kinds, 

 like Niphetos, etc. If the house be not 

 pitched too high, the middle bench can be 

 made level, like the front one, using the back 

 portion for the taller growing sorts. The 

 third bench, if there be one, must be raised 

 so as to bring the plants about the same dis- 

 tance from the glass as does the first one. 



