ROSES UNDER GLASS 



179 



stick or something similar, to judge by the sound 

 whether it be wet or dry, is a well-known device, similar 

 to that of the wheel-testers on railways. A clear sharp 

 sound indicates dryness and soundness, and a duller one 

 damp or fracture. 



After blooming, summer-flowering Roses, if any such 

 have been forced, may be removed at once to a cool pit 

 or some other shelter and hardened off ; the others may 

 be shifted to a cool house, and will give another useful 

 crop of flowers in April and May. If there be no other 

 house, and warmth is still desired to be kept up in the 

 forcing house, some means must be resorted to for 

 gradually hardening the plants off till they can be finally 

 removed out of doors. Then, instead of all trouble 

 being over with the pot plants for the year, comes as 

 important a time as any, for next year's growth and 

 flowers will depend very much upon the strengthening, 

 maturing, and ripening without breaking, of the dormant 

 buds at the base of the shoots which have flowered. 



The pots should be plunged out of doors in cocoa 

 fibre or some similar material with a bottom of coal 

 ashes, and a top dressing in each pot of good decomposed 

 manure, in a sheltered position but where they will get 

 some sun : and here they should be kept thoroughly 

 clean and be by no means neglected, but encouraged as 

 much as possible gradually to get into a condition of 

 rest, not growing much, but ripening and hardening the 

 wood. They must be frequently examined for aphides, 

 and should have only sufficient water to keep them in 

 health, not so much as to encourage them to grow. If 

 they have already bloomed twice, or in any case if it 

 does not excite the dormant buds lower down, flower 

 buds should be picked off. 



About the end of September or the beginning of 



N 2 



