lOO 



THE BOOK OF GARDENING. 



fern tied in the heads of standards early in winter, and 

 removed in spring, will afford the needed protection. With 

 dwarfs it should be thrown lightly on the plants, but removed 

 in mild weather, if it is seen that growth is commencing 

 prematurely. 



Cultivation Under Glass. — The forcing or cultivation of 

 Roses under glass for market is now become an important 

 industry, and in most large establishments they are grown more 

 or less extensively either in pots or in prepared borders. In the 

 latter case they are usually trained up over the roof. By the 

 aid of good, light, well-heated houses, and a sufficiently large 

 stock of plants, it is by no means difficult to have choice Tea 

 and Hybrid Tea Roses all through the winter months. Hybrid 

 Perpetuals are very much more difficult to get in flowering 

 condition in mid-winter, and it is seldom worth the trouble to try 

 to obtain blossom from them before the beginning of March. 



When purchasing Roses in pots with a view to forcing, 

 it is always the more economical and satisfactory plan to buy 

 strong plants early in September. If the pots they are in 

 are full of roots, they can be potted on at once into a little 

 larger size. In fact, it is always best to do any repotting in. 

 the early autumn : the plants not only take possession of the 

 new compost at once, but start much stronger and more freely 

 nto growth than is the case with plants potted immediately 

 before forcing is commenced, and more and finer flowers 

 are produced. A very suitable compost is three parts good 

 fibrous loam and one part well-decayed manure, with a 

 6in. pot-full of bone-meal added to each barrow-load of compost. 

 The drainage must be free and open, and the soil made fairly- 

 firm when potting : if rammed too hard the growth is somewhat 

 stunted, and if potted too loosely the evil is just as much the 

 other way ; therefore, the happy medium should be aimed at. 

 In bright weather a syringing overhead will be of considerable 

 benefit in assisting root-action after potting. Watering, again, 

 plays a very important part in Rose-growing : care must 

 always be taken to not over-water the plants ; at the same 

 time they must not be allowed to suffer for want of mois- 

 ture. Neglect or carelessness in these matters is sure to 

 end in failure. 



In starting to force the Rose, the temperature should not be 

 more than Sodeg. to commence with, falling sdeg. at night. As 

 growth is made, the temperature should be gradually raised tO' 



