54 Culture of Roses m Pots, and Forcing. 



fine, but not sifted. When the turf is of a light nature, it is well to mix it 

 with cow-dung in preference to horse-manure, and with neither till it is a 

 year old at least ; using equal quantities of loam and thoroughly-rotted 

 manure, of whatever kind. About one-sixth of sharp sand may be added 

 to make the soil porous. To keep worms out of the pots, a little soot may 

 be sprinkled over the pieces of turf placed on the drainage. 



In potting, turn the plants out of the small pots ; pick away the drainage 

 carefully ; press the balls gently, so as to loosen them ; and place the plant 

 with its stem in the centre of the pot ; then fill in the compost (which 

 should be in a medium condition as regards moisture) round the ball, and 

 so that the roots may be covered about an inch. Press it well, give a 

 good watering, and set the pots on slates or a concrete floor, in an open 

 and sunny situation, filling the intervals between the pots with tan or 

 sawdust up to the rims. 



In this situation the plants are to remain through the summer, being 

 well supplied with water, and frequently sprinkled overhead or syringed. 

 The very weak shoots should be removed, and any showing for bloom are 

 to have the buds pinched out. The very long shoots must be cut back to 

 eight joints, if they make more than twelve : otherwise let them alone. 

 Stopping the shoots should not be practised until the middle of August. 

 The pots should be occasionally examined to see that the roots do not 

 make their way through the holes at the bottom : the object of placing the 

 pots on slates is to prevent this as much as possible. 



Early in September, if all has gone well, the plants will be strong, and 

 have filled their pots with roots. This being the case, shift them at once 

 into eight-inch pots, in the same compost as before, adding, however, one- 

 sixth charcoal, with the dust sifted out, in pieces from the size of a pea to 

 that of a hazel-nut ; and this, with the sand, may form one-fourth of the 

 compost. Drain the pots well, and press the soil gently round the ball, 

 which should be loosened a little, so as to disentangle the roots. If loam 

 from rotted turfs cannot be procured, then the compost may be formed 

 of two-thirds loam, and one-third leaf-mould or well-rotted manure, add- 

 ing about one-fourth of river or sharp sand, and pieces of charcoal. After 

 potting, give a good watering, and place the pots on the slates ; filling in 

 the spaces between them with sawdust or spent tan. 



