ROSES. 51 



sand roses per (.laj' vras the limit of the supply for New York 

 City; now us many as fifty thousand per day can often be found 

 there, and, according to m}' own estimate, based on the most 

 careful calculation. I think I am quite within the limit in sayingthat 

 it often reaches, in the spring of the year, uearl}' one hundred 

 thousand per day, which speaks volumes for the growth, advance- 

 ment, refinement in taste, and development of horticulture. Ta 

 meet the demands of the public many changes in the cultivation 

 have been brought about ; where from the old system one rose was 

 cut, ten at the present time are cut from the same space. Perhaps 

 you will ask how this has been brought about ; my answer is, 

 largely by superior cultivation. Formerly they were all grown on 

 the solid bed of the greenhouse ; now they are grown on raised 

 benches, beds, etc., and with the greatly improved style of green- 

 houses now at their command, growers are enabled to produce 

 large quantities with little expense compared to that formerly 

 involved. . 



AYhen I began cultivating roses under this s^'stem many gTowere 

 predicted failure ; today ninety per cent of the florists in this 

 country are growing their roses on this principle, with, of course, 

 some modifications which experience lias taught. It was formerly 

 the practice to plant a house of Tea roses and grow them on for 

 years till the}' actually died from ovenvork; now the general 

 practice is to replant fine, healthy, new stock every year, or. at 

 most, every two years. Originally the prevailing idea was that 

 the roses must have a deep, rich border ranging from twelve to 

 twenty-four inches in depth to produce good roses ; now the finest 

 roses in the country are produced on benches, etc., with from two 

 and a half to four inches of soil. To keep plants in such a 

 shallow Ijench constantly bearing they must, of course, have 

 liberal treatment. After they are planted, say in July, and get 

 fairly started into gi'owth, thej' need a mulching of the best manure 

 they can have. This induces surface root action, and these roots 

 should never be disturbed. In the course of eight or ten weeks the 

 plants will have absorbed the coat of mulching. Our practice is to 

 give then a light dressing of pure, fine, ground bone, covering it with 

 another thin coat of manure. This is feeding the plants where it 

 will do the most good and, at the same time keep their roots where 

 they get all the benefit of the fresh air cu-culating through the 

 house. This process is repeated as often as required, and where 



