Pot Roses Winter Flowering. 145 



difficult point to attain. Nevertheless it is done, by inducing the Autumnals to grow 

 and form flower-buds late in the Autumn, and by preserving these flower-buds from wet 

 and frost. I do not say this plan is new, or has not been adopted by others ; but 

 I certainly am one who read the lesson from the book of Nature, and afterwards 

 practised it with complete success. Walking one October evening among some 

 Chinese and Tea-scented Roses which had been transplanted in Spring, and had 

 grown and flowered but little during a dry Summer, I could not but remark how 

 thickly the trees were then covered with small flower-buds. The first inquiry was as 

 to the cause of this, which was soon discovered. A dry Spring had been succeeded 

 by rain late in Summer, and the plants were now growing vigorously. Pleased at 

 first by the prospect of so late a bloom it did not strike me that it would be the 

 middle of November before the flowers could be perfected. However, frost and rain 

 set in, and the consequences were soon apparent the flower-buds were mostly 

 blighted and decayed. One kind alone, Chinese Fabvier, a semi-double scarlet one, 

 braved the storm, and his rich warm tints were unusually beautiful, or perhaps 

 apparently so in contrast with the desolation that reigned around. The petals of 

 the most double kinds had become glued together at their tops, which prevented their 

 expansion, and the buds rotted. From these observations I inferred ist, That had 

 these flower buds been protected from frost and rain they would have been gradually 

 unfolded ; for they continued advancing in size so long as the weather remained 

 favourable. 2ndly, That the least double varieties are more likely to expand their 

 flowers perfectly late in the year than others, because less affected by damp ; and that 

 the damp was as destructive as the cold was evident from the most double varieties, 

 which retain moisture the longest, being in the worst state, and from the semi-double 

 ones flowering in spite of the adverse weather. 



Building upon these inferences, late in the following Summer (I think in August) 

 I cut down the main shoots of several Autumnals that were then flowering in pots, 

 leaving two or three eyes on each shoot for development. They broke ; and in 

 October, the flower-buds being formed, the plants were removed to a cold pit, giving 

 all possible air in fine weather. It was a mild Winter, but a damp one. The flower- 

 buds advanced steadily, although some became mouldy and damp, and, as it is termed, 

 "fogged off" Nevertheless during November and December many kinds flowered 

 beautifully ; and at Christmas I cut as fine a bunch of Roses as could be desired. In 

 wet or damp weather the lights were kept on ; in frosty weather there was the further 

 addition of a straw mat. Lovers of Roses ! what think you of this ? Is a cold pit 

 unworthily occupied with Pot-Roses which shall furnish you with flowers in full 

 beauty in November and December. It has been seen that the above succeeded well 

 there, though it is questionable whether they would do so every season. Severe frost, 

 should it occur, must injure, if not destroy, the flowers. Preferably let them have a 

 place in a greenhouse, giving fire-heat only to dry up dampness and exclude the frost; 

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