154 The Rose Garden. 



north wall or fence as soon as the wood is matured. The Autumnals removed from 

 the forcing-house in May will, if suffered, produce flowers again in September and 

 October. But this is working them rather hard ; and if we are anxious to secure 

 good plants for the next forcing season the flower buds should be nipped out so soon 

 as formed, and all gross shoots should be stopped back or destroyed. It is the shoots 

 formed after the first flowering that we are looking forward to for fine flowers the 

 next year, and the eyes on them should be kept dormant. Roses thus treated will 

 flower well forced several years in succession. 



It is not intended to be expressed that Roses newly removed from the ground 

 will not bear forcing. If worked on the Dog Rose, or any free stock, they do not 

 absolutely require to go through the preparatory course previously recommended. If 

 taken up in October they may be forced the first year, although they do not form such 

 regular and handsome plants and flowers. For several years past it has been customary 

 here to pot and place the new varieties in the forcing-house in December, in order to 

 test their merit before offering them to the public, and some tolerable flowers are thus 

 produced, certainly not in full and perfect beauty, though sufficiently good to enable 

 one to form an opinion of their value. But this is treading on the very confines of the 

 laws of Nature, and is one of those things which may be done, and not what should be 

 recommended. Small plants established are preferable to large ones newly potted. 

 In fact, the former, if in a good state, will produce flowers equal to those of larger 

 plants ; the difference will chiefly consist not in quality but in quantity. Plants of 

 this description, after having been in the house for a short time, should be shifted into 

 32 or 24 sized pots, using a rich light soil, and taking care not to bruise the tender 

 roots or loosen the ball of earth in the operation. With regard to the descrip- 

 tion of Roses best suited for forcing, some varieties, which do not expand their 

 flowers freely out-of-doors, are beautiful when forced ; and some kinds, of rare 

 beauty in the garden, are of little worth for forcing. A list of the best will be 

 furnished hereafter. 



Many who might not have convenience or inclination for forcing Roses would yet 

 willingly appropriate a pit to secure a good bloom in April and May ; and this may be 

 attained without much trouble. Let the plants be pruned and placed in the pit early 

 in November. Keep them as close to the glass as possible. Give air abundantly in 

 mild weather, covering the glass with mats or fern on cold nights, or even during the 

 day in the event of severe frost. 



When the first edition of this work was published (1848) forced Roses were seldom 

 met with except in the Rose nurseries and private gardens, and at that time they were 

 rare and highly prized. But at the present time the market gardeners round London 

 and elsewhere grow them largely. The majority deal with but few kinds, among which 

 Marechal Niel, Niphetos, Mrs J. Laing, Captain Hayward, and General Jacqueminot 

 figure conspicuously. With some they are grown in pots, and with others planted out 



