THE ROSE AND ITS CULTURE. 



269 



be cut back, the roots kept rather dry for a week or 

 a fortnight, and then freely watered and syringed 

 overhead, to encourage the j^lant to break into fresh 

 shoots. Disbud these breaks early, retaining one or 

 more of the most promising shoots on each branchlet 

 as room can be found for them. These, under the 

 fostering conditions of light and a growing tempera- 

 tm-e, will speedily grow into fresh-flowering shoots, 

 to undergo the same process as those that preceded 

 them, and so on throughout the season. 



AAHiile Roses thus stimulated and fostered to flower 

 in succession every year must never be allowed to 

 lack food, or sufi^er for want of water, it is a serious 



mistake to over-feed or over- water them. The season 

 when these stimulants, such as liquid manui-e, are 

 most useful to them, is just before the successive 

 breaks of the young shoots and for a month or so 

 afterwards. As soon as any of the buds show colour, 

 all stimulating food should be withdrawn, and also 

 the daily overhead syringing. 



The Autumn Treatment of Conserva- 

 tory Pot Roses. — A portion of these will prob- 

 ably go on blooming far into the winter, and these, 

 where there is no second house, and indeed all 

 the others, will necessarily remain under glass. But 

 it is often practicable to place a good portion of the 

 stock in the open air for a month or six weeks 

 towards the middle or end of September. This prac- 

 tice is most useful in cleansing if needful, and more 

 thoroughly maturing, as well as strengthening the 

 plants. This brief open-air regimen also affords a 

 good opportunity for re-potting the Roses if needful, 



examining the drainage, top-dressing the plants with 

 rich compost, washing the pots clean, &c., before 

 replacing the Roses under glass, which must be done 

 by the end of October. If some of these are placed in 

 exceptionally light and warm parts of the conserva- 

 tory, they will often yield useful pickings of bloom, 

 although not a full crop, throughout the winter 

 months. 



FORCING ROSES IN POTS. 

 This differs from that already described in tempera- 

 ture and season of growth. It used to be said with truth 

 that Roses grew and bloomed naturally in spring and 



summer, matured in autumn, and rested in winter. 

 The so-called Monthly Roses introduced the new 

 fashion of growth and bloom in succession through- 

 out the year. These have originated our Teas, which 

 are the old Monthlies gi'own large, and become 

 sweet. The Hybrid Perpetuals, as their name implies, 

 inherit similar qualities, though in a lesser degree 

 Still, with all these more excitable classes the normal 

 temperature of our climate is too low for the develop- 

 ment of perfect Roses from November to May. 

 Hence, if we would have Roses in plenty throughout 

 these chilly months, they must be forced. Change 

 our winter temperature to a summer one, and subject 

 well-prepared thoroughly-ripened Roses in pots to 

 summer heat from December onwards, and Roses in 

 February, skiKuUy grown under favourable con- 

 ditions, are almost as certain as Roses in June. 

 Were artificial light, electric or otherwise, as well 

 under our control as heat, the qualifying " almost " 

 might be dropped out of the preceding sentence. 



l-'ig. 48.— Pruning of Tot Eoses. 



