130 
THE COTTAGE GARDENER. 
May 27. 
common-looking; purple, with yellow centre. The 
blooms arrived in capital order, in a tin box, between 
disks of cabbage-leaf, cut the size of the box. 
CULTURE OF ROSES IN POTS FOR 
EXHIBITION. 
( Continued, from page 111.) 
Winter Treatment.— At the beginning of this sea¬ 
son the pruning should be all done; the manner of 
doing it has been already fully described. Afterwards, 
the more tender varieties of the China and Tea-scented 
varieties should be placed under some kind of shelter, 
not so much from cold as from wet. We have alluded 
to the injury excessive wet inflicts upon the roots on a 
former occasion, but we cannot too strongly press upon 
cultivators the absolute necessity of keeping the soil of 
roses in pots rather dry during their state of rest. If the 
roses are in pits, we would advise the setting the pots 
upon a stratum of clean pebbles; then, if the drainage 
inside the pots is thoroughly open and free, the water 
absolutely necessary to keep the soil just moist, if there 
is any excess accidentally given, will easily escape 
through the hole at the bottom of the pot, and will sink 
clean away at once among the gravel. If that article 
cannot be easily obtained, brick ends, broken to about 
the size of walnuts, the small sifted out, will form an ex¬ 
cellent substitute. Now is the time (early winter), to 
make any additions that may be thought desirable to add 
to the stock; pot them, and treat them as described 
under the head potting. It will be necessary to repot 
most of those that have been grown one year or more in 
the pots. If any are weak or sickly, discard them at 
once, and procure fresh plants; they need not be thrown, 
away, but may be planted at once in the open ground, 
where, if well treated, they will recover health and 
vigour, and may be taken up, repotted, and grown in 
pots again. In shifting those that are in good health 
into larger pots, let the roots be carefully untwisted, and 
take away part of the old soil; let the stems be cleaned 
thoroughly from moss, or loose bark, and all the old 
drainage picked out from amongst the soil and roots; 
then drain the new pots well, and cover the drainage 
with some pieces of turf; upon that lay a thin layer of 
fresh soil, and then place the plant in the pot, spreading 
out the loosened roots, mixing the soil well amongst 
them; fill in the soil round the ball, and gradually 
bring it up to the top of the ball, and cover that about 
half-an-inch; give the pot a smart stroke or two upon 
the bench, and the operation is finished. Then place 
them in the situations they have been brought from, 
either in a pit, or under some shelter, if they are of the 
more tender kinds, or plunge them in ashes in a rather 
sheltered place in the garden. This repotting should be 
done early in October, but the plants having been in 
pots previously, they do not need so much care in 
shading, syringing, &c., as those do that are potted from 
the nursery rows. 
I Seasons of Starting. —This point is a most important 
I one. The rose, more than most other plants, will not bear 
either sudden or violent changes of temperature. The sap 
j must be slowly set into movement, therefore, to cause them 
| to bloom in May, which is the month in which roses are 
generally exhibited the first time in the year, the batch 
intended for that time should be set to work about the 
second week in January, by bringing them into the rose- 
house. A low temperature is proper for the first month 
or five weeks, the maximum being 45° by day, and 35° 
by night. A slight increase of water will be necessary 
during that time. Plenty of air should be given when¬ 
ever the state of the external atmosphere will allow it. 
They should also be syringed over head twice or three 
times a week; this will soften the bark, and set the sap 
flowing more freely, besides preventing the increase of 
that fearful enemy, the red spider. Of insects we shall I 
treat more fully by-and-by, but bear in mind, that it | 
is never too soon to apply the various preventives to i 
their increase and depredations. After the first month 
is over, a small increase of heat may be given. Allow j 
the thermometer to rise to 50° by day, and 40° by night. 
Water may now be given more liberally, with a dose ' 
now and then of liquid manure, much diluted; this treat¬ 
ment should continue for another month or five weeks, 
shortened or lengthened according to the state of the 
plants; this will bring them towards the end of March. 
The buds should then bo just visible, and then a farther 
advance in heat will be desirable; let the maximum be 
55° by day, and 45° by night. As the foliage will now 
be pretty fully developed, the plants will require a pro- 1 
portionate increase of food, in the shape of water and j 
liquid manure. Use the water twice, and the liquid \ 
manure once, never giving either till the plants require ! 
it, but never let them flag for the want of water. Use 
the syringe too, freely, at least once a day, remembering 
that when once the blooms begin to expand, it cannot 
then be used. If the blooms appear to advance too 
rapidly for the time of exhibition, means must be used 
to retard them; the temperature should be gradually 
lowered, and during bright sun they should be shaded 
from its exciting power. By thus judiciously raising or 
lowering the heat, the very day may find the roses in the 
finest possible condition to be brought to the exhibition 
table. 
For the June exhibition, the first week in March will 
be time enough to bring the roses in pots into the house; 
because the increased temperature will bring them on 
much more quickly than those intended to be in flower 
in May. If there is only one house, these new comers 
should be placed iu the coolest parts of the house, and 
brought on as slowly as possible. T. Appleby. 
{.To be continued.) 
LETTUCE GROWING. 
It is no uncommon thing for a family of distinction, 
after a tour or sojourn on the Continent, to return home 
with altered tastes, as well regarding the various kinds 
of vegetables in use there, as also the way of preparing 
them for table. Leaving the instructions iu the latter 
department to those deputed to carry such secrets into 
practice, let us see what can be done to provide one of 
the principal articles contained in the “famed salads” 
of the continent— lettuces. These are said to attain a 
degree of perfection abroad, that is not always found 
here; and though the increased modes of transit of the 
last few years has rendered many things of continental 
produce within reach of the million, we yet hope the 
day is far distant when it will be necessary to send to 
Holland again for our salads, as we are told was done 
of yore ; and though we have little hopes of successfully 
competing with the shrewd Dutchman in the quality of 
this production at certain seasons, we believe our chances 
of obtaining it in tolerable good order the whole year 
round to be better than his. 
Let us see in what way lettuces can be obtained in good 
order under circumstances not always advantageous; and 
in so doing, we shall be able to point out what makes the 
difference between the continental kind and our own. For 
this purpose, we have only to advert to one of those unal¬ 
terable laws of nature, which tells us that “ the quicker 
the growth, the more delicate the vegetable.” This un¬ 
deniable law is nowhere better exemplified than in the I 
various kinds of winter and spring cabbage-worts, for | 
which so many names are given, but in all the ruling 
principle is the same; the shoots produced in a few 
days in spring are decidedly more tender than those of 
