THE COTTAGE GARDENER. 
35 
April 15. 
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Suitable compost. —The roots of achimcnes arc small 
and fibrous, and require, in consequence, an open, light 
compost that they can easily penetrate. ft must not 
only he in that state at first, hut must be of such 
materials as will continue so till the season of growth is 
past. Now, the compost that will do that, may be formed 
of chopped sphagnum (white moss), fibry peat, turfy 
loam, and half-decayed leaves, in equal parts, with a free 
mixture of sharp sand. Chop the sphagnum or bog moss 
pretty fine, it will then mix better with the rest. Take 
out of the peat and the loam the rough tufts of roots or 
sod that may be amongst it, and mix them all together 
with the hands, but by no means use the sieve; then 
mix them thoroughly together, and the compost is ready 
for use. The shallow pans should have several holes in 
the bottom, to allow the free escape of the superfluous 
water; each hole should bo covered with a largish 
piece of broken pot, or, where they can be had, with 
oyster-shells, well washed, then place a thin layer of 
potsherds of a less size all over the bottom. This is, 
as our readers are aware, for drainage. Upon it lay a 
covering of the rougher parts of the compost, to prevent 
the finer particles from choking up the drainage; upon 
this latter layer place the compost, filling the pans 
nearly full; then select as many plants, about two 
inches high, as will plant each pan so full that when 
grown the entire surface will be hid. Place one kind 
in a pan or pans by itself; the smaller-growing kinds 
in the smallest pans, and the tall growers in the largest. 
A. patens is the least, not growing more than six inches 
high; the next in size is A. longiflora, and its variety, 
and A Mountfordii, which is an improvement upon the 
old A. coecinea; next, A. venusta, A. Twjuelliana, and 
A . gloxinijlora, then A. picta, and lastly, A.pedunculata, 
which will grow from two to three feet high; that they 
grow to these different heights is a fortunate circum¬ 
stance. They can be so arranged on the stage or plat¬ 
form, that the tallest growers rnay be placed behind, the 
next size in front of them, and the smaller kinds near 
to the walk; they will then form, as it were, a bank 
of flowers, various in colours, and most pleasing in 
general effect. Two or three pans of each kind (with 
the exception of A. patens, of which there may be a 
greater number for the front rank) will be sufficient for 
a moderate-sized stove, but if they are wanted for the 
greenhouse also, a greater number may be planted. 
When all are filled, give a gentle watering, and place 
them in a pit gently heated ; place them near the glass, 
and shade from midday sun till they begin to grow 
afresh, then admit more light, and give the necessary 
supplies of water and air. If they show signs of spind¬ 
ling up weak, nip off' the top, to cause them to break 
more branches, and give more air to strengthen the 
growth. T. Apple by. 
(To be continued.) 
CULTURE OF THE ROSE FOR EXHIBITION. 
(Continued from page 22.) 
Section 7.— Roses in Pots for Exhibition. —This 
is, comparatively speaking, a new art and a new feature 
in rose culture. A very few years ago, it was thought 
almost impossible to bring the rose to anything like 
approaching perfection or practicability as an exhibiting 
plant in pots. The floral world is indebted to the 
London Horticultural Society for proving the fallacy 
of this idea. They offered prizes for the best specimens, 
and with that spirit of enterprise, industry, and perse¬ 
verance, for which the florists of England arc famous, 
roses were produced in fair condition even at the first 
exhibition at which these prizes were offered, and they 
have steadily advanced in quantity and merit every year 
since then. Not only nurserymen competed with nur¬ 
serymen, but amateurs with amateurs, till at length, 
during the last season or two, it was found necessary to 
have a tent nearly entirely devoted to roses in pots I 
alone. The noble size of the plants, and the profusion 
of fragrant bloom on each, rendered the rose tent as 
attractive to the visitors as any other kind of plants, 
with, perhaps, the single exception of the orchid tent. 
And well the rose deserves this admiration, and espe¬ 
cially when grown in pots, in the manner as they are 
seen in the exhibition tents at the great metropolitan 
shows. Such exhibitions show forth with emphatic 
language the practicability of growing them in pots, whe- j 
ther for exhibition or ornament; indeed, some of the ; 
most fragrant and delicate kinds, especially in the more j 
northern counties, cannot be grown so well in any other j 
way as in pots. Now, as it has thus been satisfactorily 
proved that roses can be grown to the greatest perfection 
in pots, it is desirable to know the ways and the means 
by which any one may, with ordinary care, succeed to 
grow them well. We shall divide this part of our sub¬ 
ject into—1, house and pit for forcing and protection; 
2, soil; 3, choice of suitable kinds; 4, potting; 5, prun¬ 
ing; 6, training; 7, general management (summer treat¬ 
ment and winter treatment); 8, insects. 
1. House and Pit. —To have fine specimens of roses 
in pots, to flower in May or June, some considerable 
outlay is necessary. There should be a house properly 
constructed, and a pit to shelter the tenderer kinds in 
from severe frost and heavy rains, and to place the 
plants in after potting. The best kind of house is a 
span roof; some recommend one facing the south, with 
the longest lights on that side, and shorter ones to 
the north, but we think the best aspect is east and 
west, because then the plants have the benefit of 
the sun early in morning and late in the after¬ 
noon. The house should be wide enough to allow 
room for a tolerable platform in the centre, and 
a narrow one round the sides. The centre platform 
will serve excellently to hold large plants, and those 
round the sides will do to place the smaller ones on. 
The best, and in the end the cheapest platforms, are 
formed with a wooden frame, with iron bars, and slates 
to rest upon them, instead of boards. It should be high 
enough to bring the tops of the plants within at least 
two feet of the glass. This platform will last a man’s 
life-time. Another advantage is, that it may have a 
coating of ashes or sand laid upon it without fear of its 
decaying. This covering for the pots to stand upon is 
of great use. If it be thoroughly wetted, now and then, 
it slowly gives out a moisture to the atmosphere of the 
house, which is very agreeable and healthful to the in¬ 
mates. The house should be heated by a boiler and 
hot-water pipes, because the old way of heating by flues 
generates such a dry heat, and too frequently causes a 
diffusion of bad sulphurous air, that escapes through 
unperceived chinks in the flue, thereby injuring the 
plants, and encouraging the increase of the red spider, 
that such bad effects render the adoption of the more 
wholesome mode of heating with hot w ater very desir¬ 
able, and much more healthy, both to the roses and to 
the cultivator. But we need not argue in favour of the 
hot-water system of heating in glass structures, for it 
is well known, and duly appreciated. The house, then, 
being put up of any size to suit the number of roses 
intended to be grown, provided with the means of 
heating it with hot-water pipes, and also with suitable 
platforms, some consideration must be bestowed upon 
the best means of giving air. This is essential; for 
when the sun breaks forth through the clouds, the heat 
will soon be too high for these hardy plants. Now it 
should bo given so as not to come in direct contact 
with the young leaves of the roses; sliding-doors in the 
walls will allow ingress of fresh air the best way of any, 
because then it becomes heated by passing over the 
