338 
JOURNAL OF HORTICULTURE AND COTTAGE GARDENER. 
[ May 1, 1884. 
was clearly a mistake, and I must own it was done through, 
ignorance of its peculiar habit of growth. I mention it 
particularly to show the folly of laying down hard-and-fast 
rules of culture indiscriminately. The tree proved unhealthy 
and unfruitful under restriction, and it was left unpruned; 
but because this hiut from Nature was turned to account, 
there is no intention of laying claim to having originated an 
extension system. Let us have a little more common sense 
in fruit culture, striving to ascertain the requirements of 
each variety that may appear worthy of cultivation, for 
without close observation we run much risk of going wrong. 
Nor can one case be taken as a safe guide for another, how¬ 
ever close the apparent resemblance may be. Because a 
strong-growing Cherry would not bear pruning it by no 
means follows that other exceptionally robust fruit trees may 
not be pruned advantageously. Hardly any sort of Plum is 
more vigorous than Rivers’ Early Prolific, or any Apple more 
so than Warner’s King, yet both bear close pruning perfectly, 
and yield crops of remarkable abundance under it.— Edwakd 
Luckiiurst, Sussex. 
TEA ROSES IN WINTER AND SPRING. 
No flowers are so much appreciated during the winter months 
as Violets, Lily of the Valley, Carnations, and Roses. These may 
be called common flowers in the sense that everybody grows or 
knows them. They are, moreover, old-fashioned, naturally sweet, 
and with a degree of sentiment attached to their very names. If we 
may place credence in Byron, Roses in December would have been 
in his day as surprising as snow in the middle of summer. In our 
time the difficulty is not so much in obtaining Roses in the last 
month of the year as in the first one, yet when properly managed 
and with appliances to do so a good supply of Roses even-in those 
six dull weeks following Christmas is not impossible. 
One of the most necessary appliances is a properly constructed 
and sufficiently heated hothouse in which to grow the plants during 
the winter season. I have grown them successfully in a low pro¬ 
pagating pit, and others with a will to do so will doubtless find a 
way to produce a few flowers even where no specially appointed 
structure is set apart for their growth ; but it may be at once stated 
that makeshifts in this particular instance are not to be depended on. 
The flowers are valuable, so that those desirous of a winter supply 
of Roses will find it the best and cheapest way in the end to erect 
a structure for their culture in the same way as they do when they 
-desire a supply of home-grown Grapes, Orchids, or other garden 
produce. The structure in which our Roses are grown is a very 
simple one yet perfectly efficient. It is a low span pit over 40 feet 
long, about 13 feet wide, with a central path, with walls on each 
side, which support a bed of soil, ashes, and gravel, on which latter 
the pots are placed. The pit is heated by three rows of 4-inch hot- 
water pipes down each side, and ventilation is by wooden shutters 
at each side. During the darkest weeks a stage is erected on which 
the plants are placed, and thus brought quite close to the glass, a 
matter of great importance in January. 
I find, however, that the plants require to be grown under glass 
during the summer months as well, and as our forcing pit can be 
put to more important purposes during summer and autumn a 
summer house for the Roses is also necessary. We are here, again, 
content with a very ordinary affair indeed. Some old water-tight 
-sashes are fixed at the back to a previously existing wall, and in 
front rest on a plate supported by ordinary wooden paling stakes. 
A few rough boards with a ventilating shutter form the front, and 
boards and a door the ends, and we have an excellent quarter for 
our Roses to pass the period of their preparation and rest for winter. 
The Roses remain to be considered. We cannot take a catalogue 
in hand, mark off the varieties, and then after planting wait results. 
Strict selection must be the rule. The plants must not only be free- 
blooming, but they must continue in flower until cool-house plants 
or those on walls commence a supply. Strong-growing varieties like 
Gloire de Dijon, Reine Marie Henriette, and Madame Berard must 
at once be decided against, and sorts like Souvenir d’un Ami, Jean 
Ducher, Madame Willermoz, Madame Falcot, Catherine Merrnet, and 
Niphetos s leeted. For my own part I grow very few varieties. 
Niphetos is decidedly the best winter and early spring Rose. Madame 
Willermoz is more floriferous, but otherwise not so fine. Madame 
Falcot, Isabella Sprunt, and Safrano are too small. Souvenir d’un 
Ami I have a personal fondness for ; it is to me a very forceable 
variety of a loveable flower. Bouton d’Or is very good for mid¬ 
winter, the buds being plump and clear yellow in colour. 
Beginners ought to secure plants without delay in order to have 
them as strong as possible before the next forcing season. Those on 
their own roots are best, but difficult to purchase, at least I have 
found that to be the case. Small established plants in 4 or 5-inch pots 
should be selected. These will most likely, in fact are certain to be, 
root-bound, and the first thing to be done is to shift them into 6-inch 
pots ; then place them in a cool house, which becomes fairl-y warm 
in the daytime, and encourage all strong shoots which may start 
near the base of the plant to make all the growth possible, and 
as it progresses cut out all the weakly growths. I should hesitate 
about cutting any growths off until the young shoots have made a 
good amount of foliage. I have found severe pruning cripple the 
young plants considerably. The after summer treatment will consist 
in transferring them into larger pots as required, those 8 or 9 inches 
in diameter being perhaps large enough for the first year, it being 
much better to have a smallish pot well filled with small feeding 
roots than it is to employ those which are too large for the plants to 
entirely take possession of. 
It is hardly necessary to recommend any particular soil, as cul¬ 
tivators are as a rule so much influenced by local circumstances in 
this respect. A sound open loam, to which one-third of cow manure 
is added, with a little superphosphate of lime or bonemeal, is the 
compost I employ. The plants do not root so quickly, nor do they 
produce such a rapid growth in this as they would in a compost of a 
lighter nature ; but, and this is a point worthy consideration, they 
produce blooms for a length of time and in numbers which those 
plants grown in a less holding material do not. 
I have now only to note a few points in the treatment of the 
plants while being forced. They may be either kept rather dry and 
cool during autumn, and thus rested for a short period, or they may 
be kept comparatively active all the year round. I have tried them 
both ways, and am inclined to recommend as little of the drying 
process as possible. 
To proceed now with the winter treatment. We introduce our 
plants to the forcing pit early in November, and as the stock is freely 
ventilated until that time the change of atmosphere from a cool 
and dry one to one that is closer, moister, and warmer at once starts 
the plants into action. Up till Christmas 55° to 60° is a suitable 
temperature, from Christmas to the middle of February an extra 5° 
of heat is advantageous. In our pit, which is not closely glazed, no 
ventilation is given until the suu in March makes it necessary. As 
we have no top ventilators to cause cold currents of air, so mildew 
is almost entirely absent. I have seen it through the winter, but it 
had to be looked for. Later plants growing in cool houses it is 
almost impossible to keep free from mildew, but with forced Roses 
we have no trouble. 
The general winter treatment consists in cutting every bud 
directly it is open enough to be removed, and if the shoot the bud has 
been growing on is weakly that is also removed at the same time. 
The plants require examining two or three times during the winter, 
and all the growths which have flowered and which are not required 
to produce young shoots are removed. This is a very important 
matter where a long-continued supply is desired, for if this system 
of pruning is not carried out young growths healthy and strong will 
not be produced from the basal buds of the former growths. When 
the plants are in full free growth manure in some shape is very 
necessary. Roses of all flowers will not live and thrive when starved. 
About the middle of April the plants should have a final thinning, 
and any strong growths duly staked and allowed room for develop¬ 
ment. Free ventilation and much less fire heat are the conditions to 
be observed after this. Repotting may also be seen to now, so that 
the plants are established before being placed in their summer 
quarters in May. 
I may conclude by recommending such strong varieties as Gloire 
de Dijon, Cheshunt Hybrid, the beautiful crimson Reine Marie 
Henriette, and Marechal Niel as giving the best returns when planted 
out and trained to pillars, or, better still, to wires on the roofs of 
cool houses. The flowering growths of the one season should be cut 
completely away, and young growths which are freely produced trained 
to take their place the succeeding season.—R. P. Brotherston. 
ONIONS—THINNED AND NOT THINNED. 
Some growers make it part of their annual work to begin thinning 
their Onions as soon as they are a few inches high, and do so occasionally 
until the plants are from 6 inches to 1 foot apart. If the soil and position 
are good this is a sure way to obtain fine bulbs, large, and well shaped ; 
but further than this thin-growing has no advantage. An excessive 
weight of crop is not secured in this way, and large bulbs never keep so 
long sound as small and medium-sized ones. Of this I have had many 
proofs, and anyone may satisfy themselves on the point. For exhibition 
the bulbs must have plenty of space to develope, and when this is stated 
the whole of the advantage of much thinning and thin-growing has been 
named. 
Unthinned crops are by far the most profitable. The seeds of these 
are sown thinly to begin with. There is no labour spent in thinning. 
