120 GARDENING FOR BEGINNERS 



a house to itself, but this is seldom possible. It must be grown with a 

 variety of greenhouse plants. The three points essential to success are : 

 a good border ; a healthy plant, well rooted, and young ; good annual 

 growths thoroughly hardened. 



A Good Border should be made inside the house. Prepare it as if 

 for a Grape Vine. Remove the old soil to a depth of three feet ; put 

 about nine inches of drainage in the bottom, consisting of clinkers, large 

 stones, or broken bricks. Then fill up with a compost of three-parts 

 fibrous loam, one -part cow dung, and a six-inch pot of bone-meal to 

 each wheelbarrow-load of soil. When the loam is obtained fresh from a 

 meadow put the turfy portions with the grass side downwards. This 

 work should be done some five or six weeks before planting time, which 

 is for preference in October. 



A Healthy Plant, The best stock to grow Marechal Niel upon is 

 a hedge briar, known as a half-standard. The briar may either be 

 planted first and budded afterwards, or a plant procured already budded. 

 When the latter, see that it has an abundance of fibrous roots. When 

 this is the style selected, prune its growths back to within an inch or 

 two from where it has been budded. This can be accomplished about 

 January or February. Do not give too much heat at first. The slower 

 the new growths break the better, and as they grow, train them hori- 

 zontally. If the plant is put on one side near the centre, one growth 

 would be trained to the right and one to the left. These would pro- 

 bably reach further than the ends if so, do not prevent them. Pinch 

 out the points in September to help the shoots to ripen. These two 

 arms provide, as it were, the limbs for the base of future shoots. The 

 following spring, retain the growths of the same length as the house is, 

 then, as the new shoots break out, the best are led up the roof and tied 

 to wires. More shoots break out than are wanted ; the best only are 

 retained, and, as far as possible, at even distances apart, say about one 

 foot. Suppose the roots work freely, these shoots will go up the roof 

 on one side and down the other. They must be stopped in autumn, but 

 not too early or they will break out into growth again. The object is to 

 get them thoroughly hard, for it is upon these that the flowers appear, and 

 if they are good, strong, hard growths some noble blossoms will result. 



Now comes the question of the rods for future requirements. After 

 flowering cut the canes right back to the two main arms, and again the 

 latter send out new shoots, which will require thinning as before. After 

 flowering maintain a good heat, and freely syringe the plants before eight 

 o'clock in the morning, and after four o'clock in the afternoon. The 

 border must not be neglected, but usually one or two good waterings 

 suffice, with an occasional dose of liquid manure. Before doing so prod 

 the soil with a fork. This, then, is the best plan of growing Marechal 

 Niel Hoses. 



But it may also be grown in a cold-house. Here again we advise 

 half-standard plants, but they must not be pruned back so hard, as 

 artificial heat is not available. Keep the growths well spread out, and 

 weak wood thinned out. Remove old shoots now and then", and retain 

 as much new wood as possible. 



