NEW GUIDE TO ROSE CULTURE. 



^ould be cut off down to the live wood ; besides this not much pruning is required, 

 except what may be necessary to keep the plants in reasonable shape and 

 limit. 



ROSES IN POTS. 



The Roses most suitable for house culture are varieties of the Ever-bloom- 

 ing Class. These bloom freely and continuously, and can be kept nicely with 

 other growing plants. Persons who order House Roses, and prefer to leave 

 the selection to us, merely saying what colors they wish, will receive the most 

 desirable varieties. Hybrid Perpetual and Moss Roses should never be or- 

 dered for House Culture, as they are not suitable for the purpose. They will 

 live and grow as well as the others, but may not bloom. 



Pots. — Do not use too large pots — if possible, not more than three or four inch. 

 The rule is, one size larger than the plants have been grown in. The smaller 

 the pot — provided, of course, it is large enough to contain the plant — the quicker 

 and stronger the plant will start. It is very difficult to get a small plant to live 

 and grow in a large pot. A Rose will not bloom much till the pot is well filled 

 with roots, therefore, small pots facilitate quick bloom. If the pots are old, they 

 should first be thoroughly washed. If new, they should be soaked in water, 

 otherwise they will absorb the moisture from the plant. 



Soil. — Have good rich soil — mellow and friable. That made from old 

 decomposed sods is best. If manure is used, it should be old and thoroughly 

 composted. 



How to Pot. — Put some bits of broken crockery, charcoal, or other similar 

 material, in the bottom of each pot to facilitate drainage, then enough fine earth 

 to raise the plant to a proper height. It should not be much deeper than it was 

 before. Next put in the plant and spread out its roots as near their natural 

 position as possible ; then fill in fine earth and press firmly down with the hand. 

 When done, the pot should not be quite full ; a little space is needed for water. 



Water. — When first potted, water thoroughly — and if the sun is strong, 

 shade for a few days — then give full light and air — though the plant should not 

 be allowed to wither for want of water, the earth should get moderately dry 

 before watering again. Too much water is worse than not enough. Very 

 little water is needed until the plant starts to grow. 



Re-potting. — If the plant should get too large for the pot, it can be shifted 

 into a larger one at any time. You can tell if it needs shifting by turning the 

 plant and ball out in your hand ; if the earth is full of roots, matted and pro- 

 truding against the side of the pot, it can be re-potted at once. To do this, set 

 the ball in the middle of the new pot, taking care to place it no deeper than it 

 was before, then fill in fine earth all around, and settle it well to the bottom. 



Why Roses Drop their Leaves. — We are asked why roses sometimes 

 drop their leaves after potting ? We can not tell certainly unless we knew all the 

 circumstances. It may result from too large a pot, too much water, or other 

 causes — in any case, the best remedy is perfect rest. Keep the plant quite dry 

 until new leaves begin to appear, then water sparingly ; the earth in the pots 

 should not remain soaked, but should dry out rapidly if plants are making a 

 good growth. 



A Plant is in Health when all its parts are in good working order, and 



