CULTURE OF THE ROSE. 155 



back a shorter or longer distance, or at various periods of its 

 growth. In these cases, however, it very often will not bloom 

 until autumn, because the second effort to produce flowers is 

 much greater than the first, and is not attended with success 

 until late in the season. 



However desirable may be this retarding process, it cannot be 

 relied on as a general practice, because the very unusual exertion 

 made to produce the flowers a second time, weakens the plant, 

 and materially affects its prosperity the subsequent year. 



There is, indeed, but one kind of summer pruning that is ad- 

 vantageous, which is the thinning out of the flower-buds as soon 

 as they appear, in order .that the plant may be burdened with no 

 more than it can fully perfect, and the cutting off all the seed 

 vessels after the flower has expanded and the petals have fallen. 

 Until this last is done, a second bloom cannot readily be obtained 

 from the Bengal Rose and its sub-classes, the Tea and Noisette, 

 which otherwise grow and bloom constantly throughout the 

 season. 



In connection with the subject of this chapter, we would im- 

 press upon our readers the absolute, the essential importance of 

 cultivation — of constantly stirring the soil in which the Rose is 

 planted ; and we scarcely know of more comprehensive directions 

 in a few words than the reply of an experienced horticulturist to 

 one who asked the best mode of growing fine fruits and flowers. 

 The old gentleman replied that the mode could be described in 

 three words, "cultivate, cultivate, cultivate." After the same 

 manner, we would impress the importance of these three words 

 upon all those who love well-grown and beautiful roses. They 

 are indeed midtum in -parvo — the very essence of successful 

 culture. The soil cannot be ploughed, dug or stirred too much ; 

 it should be dug and hoed, not merely to keep down the weeds, 

 but to ensure the health and prosperity of the plant. Cultivation 

 is to all plants and trees, manure, sun and rain. It opens the 

 soil to the nutritious gas of the atmosphere, to the beneficial 

 influence of light, and to the morning and evening dew. It 

 makes the heavy soil light and the light soil heavy ; if the earth 



