MISCELLANEOUS PLANTS 83 



strongly advise all those who have only room for a few 

 plants to let these be of the Hybrid Perpetual class and 

 to eschew the Tea Roses charming as they are, for the 

 former are not so subject to mildew, the bane of pot roses 

 under glass, and, if they are not quite so free flowering^ 

 their flowers have more substance and lasting power 

 All varieties are not equally suitable for pots, but there 

 are many in each class that are suitable, and one has a 

 fairly wide choice in almost any colour that may be 

 preferred. Before attempting to flower these roses 

 under glass, it is necessary that good, strong plants 

 shall have been for a season established in their pots. 

 They may be safely kept in the open garden until they 

 are wanted to commence growth, provided the pots are 

 plunged to the rims in ashes. On bringing them under 

 glass, the first thing to be done will be to cutout bodily 

 all growths less in size than an ordinary cedar pencil, 

 and to shorten the strong ones to within two or three 

 buds of their junction with the older wood which forms 

 the frame of the plant. Until the cuts dry over, keep 

 the plants cool, after which they may be forced in a 

 temperature of about 55 deg., rising gradually to 65 deg., 

 or brought on slowly in the ordinary temperature of the 

 greenhouse, but in any case they should be jealously 

 guarded against draught at all times, very little air 

 being given to the earliest batch of plants. Keep in 

 the greenhouse until it is safe to move the plants 

 outside, attending closely to their needs in the way of 

 watering and giving manure water occasionally, for on 

 the production of strong wood depends mainly the 

 success for another year. To this end it is wise to 

 rub out shoots that do not promise to be strong. 

 Choose a sunny spot in the open for the summer 

 quarters so that the growth may be well ripened. 

 Early in autumn, any potting that may be necessary 

 should be done, using rich turfy loam, a little sand, or 



