48 
THE, FLORIST AND POMOLOGIST. 
this plant—that is to say. when the form of the plant, as well as the beauty 
of the flower, is a consideration. There are instances, however, in which the 
peculiar tall straggling style of growth of this plant may be brought into 
requisition, in order that it may stand among other plants, and show its flowers 
high above the surrounding foliage. Old plants are very well qualified for this 
purpose, simply giving them a shift in the summer and allowing them to grow 
without stopping. Again, for growing very small plants which are sometimes 
desirable, cuttings may be put in some time in May, and potted when rooted 
into three-inch pots, in which they may be allowed to flower, or they may be 
potted on into four-inch or six-inch pots, seeing that it is done in time and not 
later than September, in order to allow of the pots being filled with roots before 
the plants begin to flower, for they flower much better and continue in flower 
longer when this is the case. I often have them when the blooming is appa¬ 
rently over, break out into flower the whole length of the young stems, and 
continue so till the latter end of May. 
As before said, plain peat and loam, with a moderate quantity of sand, is 
the soil I give this plant. It is possible that others may have been equally or 
more successful by using a different compound, but that anything more than I 
have named is really necessary to good culture I can scarcely believe. I am 
satisfied that if growers confine themselves to the more simple methods and 
materials, they are less liable to disappointment. Enriching the soil in order to 
encourage growffh, may have its advantages when judiciously managed, but is 
scarcely safe in the hands of any but the most experienced growers. I would, 
therefore, recommend beginners and inexperienced cultivators to be satisfied 
with putting their plants in plain soil, and if any extra support or stimulus is 
thought to be requisite, apply it in a liquid state, when the plants are in full 
vigour, and have plenty of roots to absorb and appropriate it. 
Cuttings are easily struck by taking small pieces of the half-ripened wood, 
inserting them in an equal mixture of peat, loam, and sand, and plunged in a 
gentle bottom heat, in a hotbed or stove. 
When old plants are allowed to get potbound, or starved in too small pots, 
or stood for any time too close together, they become subject to scale. This 
is very easily got rid of by sponging with soapy water. F. Chitty. 
THE MANETTI STOCK, AND ROSES ON THE MANETTI 
STOCK. 
1st. Preliminary Observations. —I believe that great prejudices have in 
time past existed with regard to the Manetti stock. These prejudices are fast 
dying away. I believe that what I have written in its defence, as founded on 
experience, has tended to banish these prejudices so far as to insure a fair 
trial; and I believe, further, that the stock, having been more fairly tried than 
at its first introduction, has itself now very widely banished prejudice, and 
gained to itself the favour of the public, and of some of its first opponents. 
What new invention is not subjected to suspicions, and to a fiery ordeal ? 
2nd. Its Origin. —Mr. Rivers introduced it into this country about thirty 
years ago, under the following circumstances. In a letter to me, he says:— 
“ It is just thirty years this month (30th of January, 1864), that I received 
one small rooted cutting of Manetti in a bookseller’s parcel, through Messrs. 
Longman & Co. Its brother, raised in the same batch, came over with it, and 
was called “ Rosa indica grandiflora.” Our sort was called “ Rosa indica 
Manetti.” Both were raised by a Signor Crivelli, who dedicated the latter to 
Signor Manetti, the Director of the Botanic Garden at Monza, near Lago de 
