THE FLORIST. 
205 
more than 5000. Those in 6-inch pots, for forcing, were arranged 
very judiciously ; they were placed on the surface in six-feet beds, the 
pots plunged to the rim in sawdust, and the surface-mould on each 
pot covered with moss. These beds were in an open, exposed situa¬ 
tion ; a free exposure induces short, pointed shoots, which are well 
ripened by the sun, and the moss keeps the surface cool and moist; 
those in small pots w T ere treated in the same manner, and all were in 
excellent health. 
We could not help remarking the vast number of Rose-stocks, of 
all heights, planted out for budding this summer, and were induced 
to inquire into the statistics of Roses; Mr. R. freely communicated 
as follows: 
“ It is now some twenty or twenty-five years ago that I, being 
fond of trying experiments, and full of enthusiasm, sowed seeds of 
different kinds of Roses; one among these proved a fine and very 
peculiar variety ; in fact, it was one of the first Hybrid China Roses 
raised in this country, the old favourite, George IV., the original 
plant of which is now alive and in good health. I perfectly remem¬ 
ber that Mr. Lee, of the Hammersmith Nursery (one of the most 
liberal and amiable men that ever lived), gave me one guinea each 
for two plants, and freely expressed his admiration when they came 
into bloom; and this was a grand stimulus, as I thought him a very 
great man. About the same time, I observed at home, in our strong 
clayey soil, some shoots of the common Sweet Brier, some six or 
eight feet high, very vigorous and clean in their growth ; on them 
I made my first essay at budding Roses. I budded them with the 
Celestial Rose, a fine pale blush variety, and the Tuscany, a very 
dark variety — two sorts on one stem ; the plants were thought 
great rarities, and sold readily at 10s. 6d. each. This was encou¬ 
raging. I then looked into our hedges for straight stocks of the Dog 
Rose, and found abundance. I was careful to select only (and I ga¬ 
thered them with my own hands) the green young shoots one year 
old, for I had then no idea of budding the side branches, but only the 
main stem, as in fruit-trees; consequently I rejected all the stout old 
stocks. My first lot, gathered with much ‘ toil and trouble,’ num¬ 
bered about 300; these I budded the following summer, and watched 
their growth with an interest beyond expression ; they grew beauti¬ 
fully, and sold rapidly. The following season I procured 1000, the 
next 5000, then 10,000. This was a prodigious speculation, and 
our old foreman, long since gone to his last resting-place, came one 
day with a very grave face, and said : ‘ Master Tom, you are sure/y 
out of your mind ; what are you going to do with all them brambles ? 
It is a shame to plant them in ground that will grow standard ap¬ 
ples.’ Poor old man! he lived to see more Roses grown than he ever 
dreamed of. For many years I have bought annually from eighty to 
one hundred thousand Rose-stocks, all supplied by the country to 
the north and east of this place,—a part of Essex, full of thick hedge¬ 
rows on banks of clay, and coppices. The supply is still abundant as 
ever; for, the season before last, 120,000 were brought in before I 
had decided on the number I should require. They are collected by 
