ON ROSES. 



lOI 



about 6^deg. or so, ventilating when the wind and weather 

 are favourable. Weak liquid manure is beneficial once or twice 

 a week during the period of growth, and all very weak or useless 

 wood is best cut clean out, thus throwing more energy into the 

 strong flowering shoots. 



The pruning of Tea Roses inside differs from that ot the 

 same varieties grown outside ; the former should not be severely 

 pruned or cut back hard, but all strong, vigorous growths left 

 nearly their full length, and all weak wood entirely cut out. 

 If the growth is regulated while growing, very little pruning, 

 however, will be necessary, beyond the shortening back 

 of strong shoots. When the plants are grown in pots, they 

 should be placed outside in May, and very carefully watered 

 and otherwise looked after ; the wood will thus be thoroughly 

 matured, and, when required for forcing again, such trees 

 will respond by making a healthy and strong start into growth, 

 followed by a profusion of large and beautifully-formed flowers. 



Tea Roses ( Rosa indica odorata ). 



These richly-scented and lovely flowers are justly appreciated 

 wherever grown, and, fortunately, are more fully understood, and 

 more extensively planted, than they have been in the not very 

 distant past. They were first introduced from China in 1810, 

 and termed Tea Roses, by reason of their tea scent. For 

 convenience, the class amy be divided into two sections. Dwarf 

 and Climbing, the Hybrid Tea class being dealt with under a 

 separate heading. 



Taking the Dwarf section first, we have some glorious varieties 

 for either planting in beds or forcing under glass. When planted 

 in beds, pruning should be hard, i.e., the young shoots ought to be 

 cut down nearly to their base about the end of March or early in 

 April, and the beds mulched with some good farmyard manure. 

 No further attention will be necessary beyond keeping down 

 insect and fungoid pests, and the removal of decayed flowers. 

 Attention to these points will ensure a continuance of blos- 

 som from early in June to the end of October. Early in 

 November, the centre of the plants ought to be covered 

 with cocoa-nut fibre to the depth of 6in. The material will 

 serve to protect the heart from injury., by frost, though all 

 growths above the covering material may be killed. This 

 protecting material should not be removed until the time 

 arrives for pruning, - as late frosts of sufficient severity may 



