70 GENERAL HINTS. 



gardener who can produce his plants without supports, is ,he one 

 who deserves a prize for his skill ; not the man who draws a plant till 

 it cannot support itself, and then keeps it up with framework. 



There is much to be done in the choice of roses, for particular 

 objects. Those inclined to droop should be on very tall stalks, for 

 their pendulous habit is very handsome, and renders the tree a beau- 

 tiful drooping object; those for bushes ought to be short jointed and 

 close habited, as best suited to dwarfs, and so also will they be found 

 for dwarf standards. 



The general routine for rose culture is given both as respects the 

 general collection, and also for seedlings ; and with attention to what 

 has been here written, we think a mere novice may, with a little 

 enterprise, beat one who grows upon any other system. 



Few people are aware of the injustice sometimes done to roses, 

 which are condemned as worthless, when the culture alone is the 

 cause of their misbehavior. The Rose is a fidgety . customer. The 

 French people are famous for raising new varieties, and describing 

 them as very superb ; the English and American nurserymen buy 

 them as soon as they can be obtained, and describe them to their 

 customers as something recherche; they are purchased by amateur 

 cultivators upon the strength of such characters, grown for a 

 year, and too often thrown away as worthless. Once for all, let us 

 inform our readers, that no Rose can be depended on for growing to 

 its character under the third season. The effect of poor culture is to 

 make a Double Rose semi-double and single ; and that which would 

 be rich culture to anything else, may be poor to the Rose, because if 

 it be not suitable, it may as well be poor. 



There are many things which affect the Rose, but the principal one 

 is tantamount to saying that it does not feel itself at home. European 

 nurserymen often propagate roses rather too mechanically ; the greater 

 part of them are " made to sell." So long as the stock will keep the 

 bud alive, and let it grow, that is all the nurseryman asks or wishes. 

 Now, it is quite certain that a stock without mucr root will live, and 

 hundreds of plants sent from abroad are of this description. There 

 may be strength enough in the stock to grow arid bloom the kind 

 upon it, but as the stock is not fairly at Lome, the first year is often 

 wasted in making root enough to lay hold of the ground, and during 

 this period, the head is grown but poorly. 



