184 CULTURE OF THE ROSE. 



prevent their germinating before all danger of frost is past in the 

 open air. At the time the pots or pans are brought from their 

 sheltered place into a warm temperature, beds for the plants 

 should be made in the open air, that they may be ready the mo- 

 ment they are required. For these an eastern aspect is the best, 

 and in our hot climate, on the north side of a fence would answer 

 very well ; if they are in an open piece of ground, they should be 

 sheltered by an awning from the hot sun. The soil should be a 

 rich, hght sandy mould, with a little peat, if convenient, and should 

 be finely pulverized. The seeds should now be closely watched, 

 and the moment they are seen pushing up the sand, in order to 

 obtain light, they should be taken out singly with the point of a 

 knife, taking a small portion of the sand with them. The bed 

 having been previously watered, and raked fine, drills can be 

 made, half an inch deep and about a foot apart, in which the 

 germinating seeds' can be placed, at a distance of six inches 

 from each other, and then carefully covered with finely pul- 

 verized soil. Having commenced germinating in the pots, the 

 seeds, now in the genial warmth of a spring sun, but protected 

 from its fiercest rays, will soon show their heads above the ground, 

 and striking deep root in the rich soil, grow rapidly. While the 

 plants are small, care should be taken to keep the ground con- 

 stantly moist. 



We are aware that this process is somewhat new with rose 

 seeds, although it has been long practised with Rhododendrons 

 and other plants, but we are convinced of its superiority to the 

 old mode. The delicate roots of young plants are very suscepti- 

 ble of injury by change, and many are frequently lost by the 

 first potting ; this risk is avoided by transplanting the seed before 

 the first radical fibre is formed, and when, being in the act of 

 germination, there can be no possible danger of its rotting, which 

 is frequently a serious objection to sowing seeds at once in the 

 open ground. The trouble and risk of loss occasioned by subse- 

 quent re-pottings, are also avoided, and the plants have, by this 

 mode, full liberty to grow as luxuriantly as they choose, with 

 only the slight attention required by watering and shading. As 



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