128 
JOURNAL OF THE ROYAL HORTICULTURAL SOCIETY. 
most suitable for growing Roses in pots, or planted in the 
ground, is good turfy fibrous loam, cut about 3 inches thick 
from a rich old pasture, and laid in a heap with sand- 
wiches of cow-droppings ; if allowed to lie six months before 
using, so much the better for the Roses. When used, 
it should be chopped fine, and a little coarse sand added. 
The rougher portions of the soil should be put over the crocks 
at the bottom of the pot, and the new soil made firm round the 
existing ball of earth (if the plant is being repotted) by ramming 
with a piece of wood made for the purpose. A good soaking 
with clear water must be given after repotting. The roots of 
Roses repotted in September into larger pots, if examined now, 
will be found full of activity — at least they should be. Like 
Roses planted out, those in pots are now in their flowering 
quarters, and if, as before stated, it is not intended that they 
shall bloom before April, the temperature of the house must be 
kept as low as possible for some time, giving plenty of top venti- 
lation, and using no fire heat, or only sufticient to keep out frost 
and damp. 
I omitted to say in my description of the house that there 
should be one 4-inch circulating hot- water pipe round the centre 
bed, or between the path and the border, which will provide 
sufficient heat to keep out frost, and assist in arresting the pro- 
gress of mildew. As before stated, a fortnight after the plants 
are admitted into the house they will be ready to prune ; an 
operation not very difficult to perform, unless it is desired to grow 
specimen plants producing from 100 to 150 blooms. Tliis will 
require more skill and patience than most amateurs possess. 
The plants which I have described should have from three to 
five shoots, which must be shortened so as to leave only two or 
three eyes at the base of each shoot, taking care that the upper- 
most eye points outwards. The same kind of pruning applies to 
those planted in the ground for at least the firnt year. 
As January wanes, the careful observer will discover activity 
above the pots, the sign of life (as in March outside) becoming 
more apparent each day; the small buds bursting from the base 
and developing into tiny leaves, and later on smaller flower-buds, 
remind us that as the temperature rises during the months of 
l^Iarch and April it should also be incniascd gradually in the 
house until it reaches 00" by sun-heat, and should not be allowed 
