ROSES IN POTS 41 



The lower vents are really boxes with sliding lids built in the 

 brickwork of the walls, and it was after mature deliberation that 

 we adopted this system instead of having glass sides. 



The floor of the house is level and divided into three beds. 

 The centre bed is 10 feet wide, but as several iron supports run 

 down the middle of the house and, further, as there are wires fastened 

 to these supports on which permanently planted roses are trained, 

 this wide bed is virtually two beds, each facing to one of the paths. 

 In effect it might be said that there are four beds, each 5 feet wide, 

 which with two paths each 2 feet wide equals 24 feet. The other 

 odd foot is accounted for by the edging of bricks bordering the 

 beds. Such a house as this was never intended for the hard forcing 

 of early roses, so that what we want in January, February, and 

 March are taken in relays to the forcing house as required. But 

 the quantity of hot-water piping in it is well calculated to gently 

 force the plants so that there is an abundance of bloom in April 

 a time at which it realises quite good prices. The piping is the 

 ordinary 4 inch, and consists of four double rows : that is, four 

 flows and four returns. A double row runs round the house against 

 the wall and again around the path, and are so arranged that either 

 portion may be turned off. There are a number of evaporation 

 troughs resting on the pipes, which are always kept full of water 

 when the roses are " in residence," as these, when the heat is on, 

 have a moistening influence on the atmosphere, which is not only 

 beneficial for the roses and their young growths, but materially 

 assists in keeping the red spider and thrip in check. 



It is into this house that we bring the young plants, both grafted 

 and cuttings, when they have reached the stage we have followed 

 them to in our remarks, that is, as soon as they have begun to take 

 root-hold in the 48-size pots. They do not remain there many weeks 

 as we consider that the proper ripening of the wood is best effected 

 under natural outdoor conditions ; but while they are there, they 

 are syringed twice a day and carefully watered and encouraged 

 to make the strongest growth they are capable of by watering 

 occasionally with liquid manure, because we know that the stronger 

 the growth this year the stronger will it be after pruning next 

 season. 



When the growing season is nearing its end, say in August, 



