PRUNING 



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They should be cut before they are expanded, for, alone 

 of Roses, Marechal Mel improves in colour after being 

 placed in water. Great care should be taken in the 

 spring growing season to avoid cold draughts, as the 

 foliage is very tender and susceptible of mildew. As 

 the blooms are cut or wither, the upright rods should 

 be gradually shortened till the whole is clean removed 

 back to the main horizontal arms at the bottom of the 

 house. The check to the plant will be lessened by the 

 gradual removal of the shoots, and fresh growth will 

 soon start to be trained up during the summer and 

 autumn in their place as before. 



This is a simple, systematic, and regular method, 

 which I have found to answer extremely well. It may 

 be objected that all autumnal bloom is lost by it, but 

 we ought not to want Roses under glass when there 

 are plenty out of doors. I know of no system which 

 will so well provide for the utilisation of the strong 

 autumnal growth ; and the blooms from these strong 

 shoots are far superior to any that can be gathered from 

 older wood or weak laterals. 



As the cultivation of Marechal Niel under glass by 

 this method should result in the production of a large 

 number of fine Roses all at once, and there will probably 

 be a desire to send some away to friends by post or rail, 

 this seems a good place to say something as to the 

 packing and carriage of Rose blooms in general. For 

 sending large quantities by rail the method that 

 professionals have learnt by experience had better be 

 followed : in a shallow box the Roses, gathered quite dry, 

 should be laid flat in rows as closely together as possible, 

 and all the same way : the ends of the shoots are 

 wrapped in a mass of strips of some slightly absorbent 

 paper well wetted, — a much cleaner material than 



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