312 



Gardening for Amateurs 



broken charcoal should be mixed with it ; 

 good turfy soil is essential to success. The 

 roots of the Rose bushes should be cut back 

 to 5 or 6 inches or less, and the shoots 

 shortened to a foot or so,. 



Some General Directions. Plant the 

 bushes firmly, and add a dusting of bone- 

 meal just before putting on the last of the 

 soil. The pot must not be filled to the 

 rim, a little space is left for watering pur- 

 poses. After this the pots are plunged, or 

 planted, in ashes in a sheltered position out 

 of doors. A plentiful supply of water is 

 .given, and then the pots are completely 

 covered with ashes. In March the plants 

 are pruned to 6 inches or so, and towards 

 the end of May they, still in their pots, are 

 removed from a sheltered to an open position, 

 and though still kept in ashes these should 

 no longer be put over the soil in the pots. 

 They are placed 2 or 3 feet apart, and the 

 soil is kept fairly damp. uch Roses will 

 bloom during the summer and in December 

 they may be removed to a cold frame or an 

 unheated glasshouse. The plants should 

 be pruned (in the second and subsequent 

 years) in late January or in early February, 

 and ought then to be placed in a heated 

 house, unless heat can be supplied where they 

 are. At first the temperature must not 

 exceed 45 to 50 at night, and 55 by day. 

 As growth progresses it may be increased to 

 55 by night, and 60 by day. 



The plants should be staked, and the 

 growths tied out as becomes necessary, and 

 as seems advisable. Do not over-water 

 early on, but give a plentiful supply later 

 in the season. Syringe freely in bright 

 weather with an upturned syringe so as to 

 get well under the leaves. This keeps red 

 spider away. When the buds come, if the 

 plants look strong and healthy, weak liquid 

 manure may be given about twice a week. 

 Do not give the manure before buds show 

 or you may get growth and foliage instead of 

 flowers. Do not continue to supply the 

 manure after the buds show colour. 



Liquid Manure much used by nursery- 

 men for this purpose is composed of two 

 parts fresh cow manure and one part soot. 

 It is made as follows, a coarse bag of loose 

 porous material is obtained, or a " Maiden's 

 Infuser," bucket shaped, and into this is 



put two pecks of fresh cow manure and one 

 peck of fresh soot. The bag or infuser is 

 then hung in rain-water in a cask holding 

 about 36 gallons, and in two or three days 

 the manure is ready for use. To a quantity 

 of this liquid an equal quantity of rain- 

 water is added, to reduce it to a proper 

 strength or weakness. 



I fear the process described will appear 

 to be a very slow one to the enthusiastic 

 amateur who is impatient to have his house 

 full of blossom. A thing worth having is 

 worth waiting for, but, if expense be 

 no obstacle, the impatient one can have 

 what he desires without all this delay 

 by purchasing plants in pots from nur- 

 serymen. 



Roses under glass like a fair amount of 

 ventilation, but dislike draughts. Draughts 

 and damp often bring on attacks of 

 mildew. 



Errors in Watering are a common cause 

 of ill-health in Roses. When you water, 

 water well, and then leave the plants alone 

 until the pots ring when sharply tapped with 

 a stick a fairly heavy stick is the best to use. 



Paint the hot-water pipes with a mixture 

 of flowers of sulphur and skim milk ; this 

 helps to keep down mildew. The best remedy 

 for mildew in glasshouses is probably the 

 regular use of " Campbell's Vaporisers." 

 In this way sulphur is vaporised, producing 

 a thick mist which is deposited all over the 

 leaves and stems of the plants, and by which 

 the mildew spores are filled. 



Greenfly can be kept down by the use 

 of fumigants. " Auto-shreds " is perhaps 

 the best of these for this purpose, and the 

 heavy smoke created is effectual in destroying 

 " fly " of all kinds and even leaf -mining 

 maggots. 



As climbing Roses in large glasshouses 

 Marechal Niel, William Allen Richardson, 

 and Climbing Niphetos have yet to be 

 beaten. All are good and most beautiful. 

 The first and second are Noisettes, and the 

 last-named is a Tea. 



In very small houses Teas and the smaller 

 Hybrid Teas are the best Roses for the 

 amateur to grow, such, for example, as 

 Lady HiUmgdon, Richmond, Mme. Abel 

 Chatenay, Bridesmaid, Prince de Bulgarie, 

 and A. Hill Gray. 



