THE CULTIVATION AND MANAGEMENT OF ROSES. 
273 
more than once the entire of a batch of seed 
spoiled by the act of burying it, and therefore 
prefer, upon the whole, drying them in a green- 
house all the winter, and examining them to 
see they do not get mouldy; and then, when 
the season for sowing comes, break or bruise 
them so as to disengage the seed, which should 
be cleaned in cloths, and if necessary moist- 
ened for that purpose. 
SOWING OF THE SEED. 
Among the numerous modes of sowing the 
seed of the Rose, strange as it may seem, the 
very plan which has been adopted for fifty 
perennials, or perhaps more, answered as com- 
pletely as any. For instance, polyanthus seed 
and rose seed were sown in the same kind of 
soil, loam and dung, in the same sort of pan, 
placed in the same garden light, watered at the 
same time ; and, though coming up at a different 
period, submitted to the same treatment in 
other respects ; shaded from the same noon- 
day sun, and, though at a different time, pricked 
out into pots, four or five in a pot, round the 
edge; kept cool and growing right on ; and when 
the polyanthuses were placed in their single 
pots, the roses were also potted in theirs. 
They were kept dry rather than otherwise all 
the ensuing winter, in a cold frame, with their 
neighbours, well-protected against frost; and 
that was all. In the spring, when they began to 
grow, they were bedded out in rows, in a 
shady border, six inches apart, and the rows a 
foot apart, and here they remained another sea- 
son, making considerable growth ; some were of 
the China kind,, and those were potted up and 
kept growing ; the others were hooped over 
with low hoops, which kept the covering close 
down on them in bad weather, and there were 
several that died during the winter. In the 
spring they were pruned carefully, so far as 
to remove all but the two or three strongest 
shoots, and these were cut about half-way 
back. Several bloomed weakly, but most of 
them made good growth. No part of the suc- 
cess, however, went beyond the growth ^ not 
half-a-dozen came at all double, and though 
there were some bright colours, there were 
none in our estimation worth saving. The 
China ones were rather better, but not good 
enough; so that, after giving a few of the best 
another year's chance, every vestige was given 
or thrown away. The experiments followed 
up season after season, led to the following 
confirmed practice : — The berries were dried 
all the winter ; they were then bruised in a 
bag, and the seeds carefully picked out ; a slight 
hot bed was made up- as if for annuals ; the 
soil put six inches deep all over, half-rotted 
turf and half cow-dung, raked smooth, and the 
seed sown evenly and thinly all over — occa- 
sionally moistened ; the seeds came up well, 
and were shaded ; had plenty of air given, and 
the usual attendance to see that they were not 
dry, but not much watered. Here, as soon as 
they were large enough, they were thinned a 
little, by carefully removing a few wherever 
they were too thick ; which removed ones were 
as carefully potted off and kept in the green- 
house. They had no other care during the 
season, than protecting them from too much 
sun; but they were allowed to be quite open on 
mild cloudy days, and had warm showers of rain 
at all opportunities. Here it was found neces- 
sary to fumigate them several times to get rid 
of the aphides, which partially appeared five 
or six times during the season, but were 
speedily cleared away. The lights were taken 
off towards the autumn, and the young plants 
looked as well as could be wished. At the 
period when frosts were expected, they were 
removed carefully with all their roots, into a 
bed made of the same compost, and a foot deep ; 
planted a foot apart every way, and the bed 
Queen of 'Bourbons. 
being four feet wide, took four across it, the 
outer ones being six inches from the edge of 
the bed. The same precaution was taken with 
mats and hoops to keep off heavy falls of snow 
or hard frosts,, and they were allowed to push 
as much as they would, without pruning, all 
the next season, no other pains being taken 
than to throw the mat over when the sun was 
distressingly hot, and to water them freely on 
dry parching weather, every night. At the 
autumn they were replanted, all the weak 
shoots being cut out, but the strong ones not 
shortened till the spring. Though there was a 
manifest improvement in the flowers each 
season, it was four or five before anything 
like the quality of some present Roses was 
y 
