130 The Rose Garden. 



Worms are often a great nuisance among seedlings, throwing up heaps of soil 

 which smother the young plants ; sometimes, too, they drag them into the earth, 

 which destroys them. The best remedy here is lime-water applied two or three 

 evenings consecutively in dry weather. If the seeds vegetate very early the young 

 plants must be protected from the Spring frosts ; and hooping the beds over with 

 osiers and covering with a mat offers perhaps the simplest and most efficient means 

 of doing this. 



So soon as the seeds vegetate the young plants require constant attention as to 

 shading, watering, and weeding, as well as protection from their enemies. Some of 

 the Autumnals will flower the first year. These precocious youngsters, with the 

 exception of the Tea-scented, are, however, seldom long with us, being of defective 

 constitution. It is to those which flower during the second year or afterwards 

 that we look for improved varieties. The Summer kinds will not flower for two, 

 three, or even four years. Seedling Roses should be watered only when the soil is 

 really dry, and then in the evening or morning, before sunset or sunrise. The 'same 

 framework used to protect the plants from frost in Spring will answer for Summer 

 shading, but shade only when the sun is powerful and then only for a few hours in 

 the middle of the day ; for shading as well as watering may be carried too far, and 

 if so, favours the development of mildew. Watch your seedlings closely, to see what 

 amount of sun they will bear without injury, and determine your movements 

 accordingly. 



At the time of weeding it is well to have a sharp-pointed stick in the hand, with 

 which to stir the soil round the seedlings. This must be done with great care, or the 

 plants just protruding will be injured ; indeed if they are germinating thickly it is a 

 dangerous operation and perhaps better left alone. 



So soon as the seedlings have formed their second leaves, if they should have 

 sprung up so thick as to impede each other's growth, a part may be safely drawn out 

 after a good shower of rain (raising the soil in the first instance with a hand-fork), 

 and transplanted to a shady border in the evening of the day, watering and covering 

 with a hand-glass until they take hold of the soil. Let it be understood, however, that 

 transplanting at this season is not recommended ; it is here chosen because less 

 injurious than suffering the plants to remain crowded together. It may not involve 

 any positive loss, but it ordinarily retards the period of flowering. 



When the plants have formed a few leaves the pleasure attendant on the raising 

 of seedlings increases ten-fold. In looking over the bed, how anxious we are to 

 discover to what groups certain curious-looking individuals belong? We look, and 

 look again, and often depart without coming to any satisfactory conclusion. The 

 plants, however, increase in size, the scrutiny goes on, fresh features are noticed at 

 each new examination, until at length we have something tangible to work on. We 

 pronounce this to be a Moss, and that a Bourbon ; here is evidently a Hybrid Per- 



