18 
THE ROSE GARDEN. 
stimulants, in the form of heat and moisture, 
must be very cautiously applied, a very small 
proportion being at first administered, and the 
quantity and frequency of application gradu- 
ally increased. They need not be potted yet. 
Miscellaneous Plants. — Any miscellaneous 
plant that may be kept in the window, may 
be treated in the manner recommended for 
Geraniums. 
Balconies. — There is not much that can 
now be done in this department of window- 
gardening. The only means of decorating bal- 
conies in the winter months, is to furnish them 
with evergreen plants in pots, which should 
have been prepared and placed in their situations 
at least two months ago. To some this may 
appear a very dull way of decorating their 
windows ; nevertheless, it is the only way 
which can be adopted outside during the 
rigorous season of winter ; and, in truth, it 
will afford the means of rendering the appear- 
ance of the balconies not altogether cheerless. 
One point should be to secure some shrubs 
with berries ; these, if chosen of different 
colours, would be nearly as ornamental as 
flowers. Thus there might be the red and 
yellow berried Hollies, (IlexAquifolium vars.); 
and for a white berry, though the plant is not 
evergreen, no better one could be chosen than 
the Snow-berry (Symphoricarpus racfmosa). 
Besides these, there are the shrubs with varie- 
gated leaves, any or all of which would be ap- 
propriate : there is the Aucuba japonica ; the 
gold and silver striped Bos (Buxus semper- 
virens vars.) ; the striped Privet (Ligustrum 
vulgare variegatum), and many others. Then 
there are the spire-like growing Junipers 
( Juniperus sp.), and Cypresses (Cupressus sp.); 
the Arborvitaes (Thuja sp.); and the Pines 
and Firs (Pinus, Abies, and Picea sp.), small 
plants of any of which are quite appropriate. 
Of compact, or round-headed plants, there is 
the Rhododendron ; the Hollies, (Ilex sp.) ; 
the Box (Buxus sp.) ; Daphne pontica ; the 
Phillyreas;the Alaterntis(RharnnusAlaternus); 
the common Laurel (Cerasus Lauro-cerasus) ; 
and Portugal Laurel (C. lusitanica); the ash- 
leaved Berberries(Mahonia sp.); and, in fact, 
all and every evergreen shrub, which can be 
got small enough to be put into a pot, and 
neat enough to have some symmetry in its 
form and proportion. Such plants as these 
require but little water at this season ; in fact, 
within certain limits, the drier they are kept 
the easier they may be preserved uninjured ; 
but they must not get too dry, or the foliage 
will turn brown by reason of drought. The 
only rule that can be given in this case, is to 
apply water when the earth looks dry if 
turned up from an inch or two below the sur- 
face ; enough should be given to penetrate 
the whole mass, and if this is done, they will, 
perhaps, not require a renewed application 
within a fortnight, more or less, according to 
the state of the weather. 
THE ROSE GARDEN. 
As we commence a new year, — the period 
which many choose to begin a new subject, 
commence a new task, or adopt some new 
amusement, — we might be content to suppose 
that the reader has his rose-garden in good 
order, and so content ourselves with giving 
some directions for the month only ; but as 
we happen to know that there are many rose- 
gardens neglected, and many amateurs desi- 
rous of beginning to cultivate them, we shall 
commence by going a little nearer to the 
facts, believing that nothing has been done to 
the trees and bushes, since they left off 
flowering ; that there are branches of the 
stock which have been allowed to grow, and 
suckers to spring up from the root, the whole 
summer's growth of the wood left on the 
trees and pods of seed, on many of the 
vigorously-blooming kinds. This has been 
the fate of many that we have recently seen, 
even in good gardens ; and the excuse is, 
that " there has been so much to do this 
autumn ;" and this same excuse does for 
everybody who has omitted any necessary 
duty. In the neighbourhood of Wimbledon, 
we found half the stake useless, because the 
tie was gone. In Essex, half a dozen of the 
heads of the trees were blown right off, tear- 
ing the eye completely out where it had been 
growing well for years : but this was through 
allowing so much head to remain on, — the 
branches of the summer's growth, in some 
instances, six feet long, and growing upwards, 
having been left unshortened ; and in a state 
which a high wind was sufficient to have 
torn away from anything. Besides all this, 
with regard to established gardens, there are 
many persons intend to begin growing Poses, 
that have not grown them before. The 
work, therefore, in the RoseGarden, consists 
of everything that ought to have been done 
the last three months, and has not been done ; 
and of the ordinary operations for the month 
itself. 
Shorten all the Branches of Rose-trees, 
and especially of standards, that the wind 
may not have much power over them ; 
and all thin and perfectly useless branches 
may be cut close. Generally speaking, there 
will twice or three times as many branches grow 
as are. requisite, and not one unnecessary 
one should be left on. The only objection to 
regular pruning in the autumn is, the proba- 
bility of a frost, that would cause the shoots 
to die back two or three eyes, which could 
not, on any account, be spared from the head. 
On this account, it is the better way to cut off 
