28 COMMERCIAL ROSE CULTURE 



In about three weeks' time the cuttings may be examined 

 by inserting a knife and prying them up gently out of the 

 sand. As soon as they have made roots about half an inch 

 long they should be potted. If this operation is long delayed, 

 the plants will suffer as there is no nutriment in the sand to 

 sustain any growth that they may make. The roots also lose 

 their plumpness, become long and brittle, are easily broken off 

 when dug up from the sand and while being potted, and are 

 much injured thereby. 



The soil for the first potting should contain no fresh ma- 

 nure, nor any chemical fertilizer. Good Rose soil, mixed up 

 the previous Summer with a little cow manure, will be in the 

 right condition by this time, by which I mean anywhere between 

 December first and April first. If this is stored outdoors, or 

 in a cold shed, it should be brought inside long enough before- 

 hand to get well warmed through before it is required for use. 

 Screen and rub all lumps of sod and manure through a three- 

 eighths inch screen ; a one-fourth inch or one-half inch one will 

 do if you have not the first named size. This is done to make 

 the plant food it contains available, to avoid breaking the roots 

 by trying to crowd them into a small pot with lumps of earth, 

 and also to greatly increase the speed in potting, for it is well 

 known by growers of small stock that a man can pot into small 

 pots much faster when using screened loam than he can with 

 rough material. 



A 2-inch or 2% -inch standard pot is large enough for the 

 first potting. Pot firmly, but not too deeply and to about the 

 same depth as the cuttings were in the sand. Do not set the 

 roots to the bottom of the pots, nor so near the top that they 

 will not stand firmly upright, and pot them all alike. If you 

 knock the plants out of the pots, after a good man has been at 

 work, you will find every plant just about the same as regards 

 depth, firmness of potting, etc. Water carefully by sprinkling 

 them gently several times and then examine several pots to see 



