46 MARKET NURSERY WORK 



We cannot admit anything and everything short of actual clay 

 and utterly devoid of the smallest suspicion of fibre to be our idea 

 of loam ; we want the genuine article rich, holding, fibrous, and 

 fat, and such a loam must form the foundation of the compost 

 if we want pot roses to do their best. 



In potting, the union of the bud and stock (in budded roses) 

 should be level with the rim of the pot, neither raised above it 

 nor buried beneath the compost, and this will leave the union 

 just clear of the soil, so that any suckers appearing around the joint 

 can be easily and completely removed. For a few days the plants 

 when potted should be stood close together in a cold house or 

 somewhere near, where they can be under observation, and as 

 soon as it is seen that root-action has begun they should be plunged 

 out in nursery beds. For we do not hold with attempting, even 

 moderately, to force roses until they have been a year in pots and 

 become thoroughly established. We plunge them, say, in December, 

 the rims of the pots, perfectly level, being flush with the ground, 

 but not covered in, so that we may the better treat them throughout 

 the next growing season by watering when dry and by feeding when 

 necessary. If the pot is completely buried it is impossible to keep 

 such an intelligent observation upon them or to water and feed 

 them without waste. 



