124 On forcing Ruses. 



heated, with very little fuel, and require no attendance at 

 night, except in very severe frost. The back of this frame 

 may consist of wood, or a narrow brick, at pleasure, and 

 Should have a door in the middle, just sufficiently large to 

 admit the gardener to creep in and water the plants by reach- 

 ing over them from one side to the other, without any walk 

 inside. A strong latticed floor must be fixed six inches above 

 the flue, on which the pots must be placed when introduced, 

 and these must have a pan or receiver under each, not only to 

 catch any of the manured water, which I recommend, but to 

 prevent the heat of the flue, which will now and then be 

 smart, notwithstanding every precaution, from striking directly 

 on the pots themselves. After the month of March, roses may 

 be advantageously forced in other houses and situations, but 

 hardly sooner, except on the front flue of a pine-stove ; and a 

 small frame like this is not only built and maintained at a 

 small cost, but the lights may be used for other crops, especially 

 melons, after June. 



The plants, to be forced into blossom by Christmas day, 

 should be placed in this frame on the 1st day of October, 

 lighting fires gradually, so as to keep the temperature in the 

 day time rather increasing than decreasing from 60 degrees of 

 Fahrenheit to 80, but at night much lower ; if the plants meet 

 with one frosty night or two in the beginning of October, so 

 much the better, for they will push more vigorously after the 

 heat is applied. The first year, none of the crop will come 

 in so early as afterwards, and I advise all the young suckers 

 to be forced in succession the first year, not waiting till they 

 have had one year's growth in the open air ; moreover if the 

 suckers are strong, they will produce more blossoms than 

 might be expected. 



If the second crop of plants be introduced on the 1st of No- 

 vember, they will blossom from the middle of January to the 

 middle of February ; those of the third crop, introduced on the 

 1st of December, from the middle of February to the middle of 

 March; those of the fourth crop, introduced on the 1st of 

 January, from the middle of March to the middle of April ; 

 those of the fifth crop, introduced on the 1st of February, from 

 the middle of April to the middle of May ; those of the 

 sixth and last crop, introduced on the 1st of March, from the 

 middle of May till the middle of June ; when several varieties 

 in the open ground begin to blossom. 



As soon as the plants begin to push their buds, whether 

 any aphides appear upon the young shoots or not, fill the 

 frame with tobacco-smoke, and do not fail to repeat this every 

 third week till the flowers appear, smoking for the last time 



