294 



ON THE CULTURE OF HOSES. 



Achimenes pyropcea, a charming little plant, is an intermediate 

 form between A. coccinea and rosea, having the bright scarlet 

 flowers of the former and the habit of growth and foliage of the 

 latter. In brilliancy of colour it far surpasses either. 



In cultivation these, like the other Achimenes with scaly 

 roots, may be made to bloom any time from June to October in 

 constant succession, and the " ruby " has the advantage of 

 being much earlier in coming into bloom than the old A. coc- 

 cinea,, which seldom can be bloomed before August, and conse- 

 quently too late for summer exhibitions ; on the other hand, the 

 ruby Achimenes, if treated in the following manner, will come 

 in well for summer exhibition. 



About the beginning of February the scaly roots should be 

 separated, and the scales strewed over the surface of a pan or 

 pot filled with a light rich soil, and slightly covered with fine 

 sand (for starting), then placed in a cucumber or melon pit, or 

 other similar situation, where there is a strong moist heat ; and 

 afterwards, when the plants are about two or three inches in 

 height, removed by carefully transplanting them into pans four 

 inches deep and 12 wide, well drained, and about three parts 

 filled with a mixture of rough peat, half-decayed leaves, and a 

 small portion of sand and very rotten dung. Each pan should 

 have from six to eight plants carefully placed in each at equal 

 distances. When the plants have nearly covered the surface of 

 the pans, fill the remainder of the pans up to the brim with the 

 same kind of compost as used before ; and finally, water freely, 

 but never overhead, and afterwards treat them as directed, vol. i. 

 p. 259 of this Journal. 



XXXIV. — On the Culture of Hoses, more especially the Prop- 

 ping, and Training of Tall, Climbing, or Tree-Roses. By 

 Mr. Alexander Forsyth, C.M.H.S., Gardener to the Earl of 

 Shrewsbury, F.H.S., Alton Towers. 



(Communicated August 19, 1847.) 



If we wish to convey correct ideas of plants, we must adhere to 

 botanical descriptions, and not to terms used in common conver- 

 sation ; for we find the term tree used in speaking of ligneous, 

 herbaceous, and even annual plants. We have tree-paeony, tree- 

 violet, and even tree-mignonette : no wonder, then, that we 

 should have tree-roses. ~ 



The standard rose is generally termed a tree-rose ; and, before 

 we go further with the subject, it may be necessary to state, that 



