158 ROSES IN POTS. 



distance as an "inaccessible mountain," which they would 

 rather not attempt ; and to those who know little of 

 mechanical appliances, it appears as a " hard nut," which 

 a too sensitive appreciation of the dental organs teaches 

 them to reject. 



Will my readers bear with me while I endeavour to 

 show what I stedfastly believe, that Roses, however diffi- 

 cult of cultivation in London and other sooty towns out 

 of doors, may be grown with perfect success there under 

 glass. 



Our town friends may remonstrate, " Well, but we 

 have tried them, and they won't do." Yes ; but how 

 have you tried them? Probably you have bought some 

 plants at is. or is. 6d. each, and placed them in a house 

 with bedding plants, camellias, and a host of other things 

 whose conflicting interests rendered it impossible for the 

 poor unfortunate Roses to receive anything like reason- 

 able treatment. It should be remembered that what is 

 "one plant's meat is another plant's poison," and how 

 would our growers of orchids or stove and greenhouse 

 plants succeed if they bought small plants, and if Roses 

 were cultivated in the same house with them, and a treat- 

 ment followed with the view of reconciling such antagonistic 

 interests? The growers of orchids, &c., buy good-sized 

 plants, have houses built expressly for them, or existing 

 houses modified to suit them, and so it must be if the 

 town gardener would succeed with Roses. 



Well, then, what should the Rose-house be ? As to 

 dimensions, these may vary according to the means or 

 wants of the cultivator ; but a span-roofed house, so con- 

 structed that the plants may be kept close to the glass, 

 and a free circulation of air secured, is the best form of 

 structure. Heating, although not absolutely necessary, 

 is yet desirable, both as a protection against severe frost 

 and to secure the development of early flowers. In the 

 next place, buy plants well advanced plants that have 

 passed their early and tender years in the nursery, under 



