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Gardening for Amateurs 



Old wood should be cut out of established Roses, 

 and in the north this is the time for thinning 

 climbers and ramblers. Cut out stems that have 

 flowered and very thin growths, tying out the 

 strong new growths to ripen. Watering is only 

 necessary for newly planted Roses if the weather 

 be dry. 



It is not desirable to encourage growth in old- 

 established bedding Roses now, what is wanted is 

 maturing or ripening by sun and air, so cut out 

 dense, useless shoots. 



November 



Plant during the first half or throughout the 

 month if needful and if fine. Cut off the foliage, 

 or bury the plants for a few days before planting 

 and it will then drop or shake off. If the soil be 

 wet and sticky " heel " the plants in that is, earth 

 the roots over in a trench and wait for an oppor- 

 tunity. A heap of dry earth kept under cover is 

 useful for planting in emergencies. Basic slag can 

 now be scattered on the beds and dug in. Collect 

 and burn all fallen leaves and dead shoots. 



Manure can now be put on the beds by those who 

 believe in winter manuring. Personally I think it 



better to wait until February. If the manure be 

 put on it is better to fork it in. Towards the end 

 of the month cut about one-third of the length 

 from long shoots, other than climbers, ramblers 

 and pillars, to prevent the wind shaking them about. 

 Cut away soft, thin and useless wood anywhere. 

 Standard Briers, tall or dwarf, may still be planted. 

 Give plenty of air to climbers under glass, so that 

 the growths may be properly ripened ; cut out old 

 stems that have blossomed. 



December 



Planting can be done on fine days, but plants 

 take no harm if " heeled " in, well covered, and 

 left until late February or early March. It is a 

 good plan to take them out once or twice during 

 this period. 



In the latter part of the month earth up Teas and 

 other tender Roses ; cover the base and a little way 

 up the branches. Dug ground should be left rough 

 for the frost to pulverise. In frosty weather 

 manure can be wheeled on the beds. 



Do not give much water to climbers under glass. 

 nor too much heat. The new shoots of the climbers 

 should now be " tied out." 



Hydrangeas for Pots and Tubs. The 



various forms of Hydrangea Hortensia are 

 excellent plants for greenhouse or room 

 decoration, for the blooms last in good con- 

 dition for a considerable time, and by a 

 little judicious management of the tempera- 

 ture of the houses or frames in which they 

 are grown a succession of flowering plants 

 may be kept up for the greater part of the 

 year. Nice plants to flower in 5- or 6-inch 

 pots may be obtained by inserting cuttings 

 of the points of vigorous, well-ripened shoots 

 in 2^-inch pots early in August. Keep in a 

 close frame until rooted, then, after hardening 

 a little, stand out in full sun. Allow them 

 to stand in a cold frame until January, then 

 pot them into 5- or 6-inch pots, using a 

 compost of four parts good loam, and one 

 part well-rotted manure, with a little sand. 

 Pot firmly and place in a warm greenhouse. 

 As soon as the flower heads are noticeable 

 and the soil is well filled with roots, feed two 

 or three times a week with manure water. 

 They may be grown in the window of a 

 dwelling-room in the same way. Plants 

 grown on for a second year in larger pots 

 may bear from six to eight heads of flowers. 

 Thorough ripening ot the wood is, however, 

 essential to success, and no branches must 

 be cut back until after they have flowered. 



The Old-fashioned Hotbed. In these 

 modern days of elaborate forcing and pro- 

 pagating houses the value of the old-fashioned 

 hotbed is apt to be overlooked. Yet it is 

 a very proper and important adjunct to the 

 garden, and after doing duty as a hotbed, the 

 material of which it is built is in excellent 

 condition for application to ground which is 

 to be cropped with plants known to have a 

 distaste for fresh manure. Farmyard man- 

 ure, in the proportion of two parts horse 

 manure to one part of cow manure, forms a 

 suitable base for the hotbed. With this, 

 mix one part in four of leaves. Turn the 

 whole several times, then build it into a firm 

 bed 12 to 15 inches wider all round than the 

 frame to be placed on the top. The heap 

 may be from 2 to 3 feet high when completed, 

 but sometimes such beds can be built in a 

 frame. Place the frame in position, and 

 allow the bed to stand for five or six days 

 until the fierce heat shows signs of abatement. 

 It may then be used for all kinds of soft 

 cuttings, seeds of Cucumbers, Melons, etc. 

 Care must be taken to admit a little air 

 during sunny weather, and the glass should 

 be covered by canvas or mats during bright 

 sunshine, especially when the heat in the 

 bed is considerable, otherwise the cuttings 

 or plants will be scalded. 



