Mabch G. 
THE COTTAGE GARDENER. 
431 
with twenty of their best plants much under a hundred 
pounds. Very nice, stubby plants, two or three years 
grown and trained, may be had for about one guinea 
each, and these would be very nice to begin with; and 
though they might not do much the first season, would 
be fit to be transferred to their fiowering-pots, say 
thirteen inches in diameter, and would blow nicely the 
following year - . On an average, nice little plants, which 
you might procure now in three-inch pots, would require 
two or three years’ growth to equal these last named, 
and from four to six years' growth to equal the strongest 
of these great Rose-exhibitors. 
CULTIVATION. 
I will now give a few hints as to the management of 
such plants for blooming in the end of April, May, aud 
June, merely premising, that fine blooms, aud plenty of 
them, may be procured from small plants, in and after 
the second season. 
1. It will be advisable to have all such on tlieir own 
roots. Suckers are thus avoided, and when a strong 
shoot comes from the roots, it may either bo removed, 
or allowed to remain to fill up a gap in older wood past 
its best. 
2. The soil used should be good, mellow, hazelly 
loam, enriched with dried nodules of cow-dung or sheep- 
dung. The pots should be well drained, and if there is 
a cap over the hole in the bottom, to prevent the pos¬ 
sibility of worms entering, so much the better. This 
precaution will save much labour and trouble afterwards. 
3. Potting .—Young plants, when received, whether in 
autumn or spring, should be placed in a pit, or the front 
shelf of a greenhouse ; as soon as the pots are filled with 
roots, shift the plants into a larger sized pot. Keep the 
plants in the pit with plenty of air until the beginning 
of June, some will, probably, then want another potting ; 
allow them to remain in the pit for a fortnight or so 
aftor the lights are off, and then place them in a sunny 
position out-of-doors, with the roots protected from the 
heat, either by plunging the pots or other means. Re¬ 
potting should be done in spring, or in early summer, 
before the plants are placed in their full-sized flowering- 
pots, in which they may remain for years, if supplied with 
rich mulchings and manure-waterings. 
4. Pruning and Training .—I have seen splendid 
masses in pots grown in the pyramidal bush style ; tho 
tallest shoot being in the centre, with others of different 
and successional heights round it. This plan always 
renders it easy to thin out a worn-out or ill-placed shoot. 
Growing with a single strong stem, furnished with 
branches coining out regularly all round, is generally 
most approved of. Sometimes tho lower base branches 
are apt to lose their vigour in old plants; but, if on 
their own roots, such a misfortune is almost sure to be 
remedied by a strong shoot coming from the bottom, 
which must be duly stopped to supply the dreaded 
opening. In young plants every encouragement should 
be given, the first season, to make growth ; but a little 
pinching with the thumb and finger would be well, 
even then, to bring the plant into the desired shape. 
Towards October, the soft points of shoots left should be 
nipped off to concentrate the juices aud ripen the back 
buds. The final pruning should be deferred until the 
spring, and that must be regulated a good deal by the 
kinds, and as to whether handsome growth or flowering 
is intended. 
5. Watering .—The plants must never stand in want 
of this, even for a day, when necessary. During summer, 
weak manure-waterings will greatly encourage growth. 
Towards autumn little will be required, merely enough 
to prevent flagging, in order that the wood may be well 
hardened. 
G. Protection .—By the end of October, or the begin¬ 
ning of November, the plants should be placed in a 
cold pit under glass, and have air in the back and front, 
except when the frost is severe. The plants, when they 
get to a flowering state, will thrive better if they are not 
treated to much frost during the wintor; but the more 
airy they are the better they like it. 
7. Insects .—Green fly and caterpillars are to be 
avoided as ruin. Washing over large plants, when in 
a dormant state, with clay-paint, containing a little 
tobacco juice and a little sulphur, is a good preventive. 
If iii spring a vestige of a caterpillar appears, it must 
not be looked for a second time; aud if a green-fly 
should show himself, you must not wait to look for his 
neighbour. Fumigate, but not strongly, with shag 
tobacco. Better repeat the dose than give the plants 
too much at once. Use no tobacco-paper, or other 
material, unless you have previously tried it on some¬ 
thing as tender as a young rose-leaf. If the plants 
should be affected after placing them out-of-doors, use 
weak tobacco-water to the parts, aud plenty of clear 
lime-water for syringing. 
SPECIMEN PLANTS. 
Now for a few words on specimen-flowering plants. 
The less these have of anything worthy the name of 
forcing, the better they will look in May and June. 
Those yet to be placed in the blooming-house, and to 
receive little extra heat, will scarcely be in full bloom 
until June. Tho pruning should already have been 
done. In oldestablishod plants pruning must be 
closer, iu general within a few buds of the older wood, 
unless there is a nice shoot which you wish to break 
freely to render the plant more symmetrical. In young 
plants containing line, well-ripened shoots, these, if 
desirable, might be left from a foot to eighteen inches 
or more in length : fine masses of bloom are thus pro¬ 
cured. But to ensure such shoots breaking, they must bo 
pegged, or tied dowu, to a horizontal position ; and, 
if possible, so that the base of the shoot shall be the 
highest. Even in oldish plants, it is safest not to 
prune too close at first, but to bend the shoot with a 
string, to make the back buds break freely. If you have 
such conveniences as I have described at Stockwood, 
you will bo able to observe every bud nicely. 
The plunging of the pots is also a great matter, pro¬ 
vided the heat given is only a few degrees more than 
the top-heat. Until every bud has broken, it is next to 
impossible to give too much air, if tho temperature does 
not come below 35°. Unless actually freezing, air at 
night will be necessary. The advance of the season will 
render little artificial heat necessary. There is moro 
danger of having too much than too little. The plants, 
when used to it, and defended from low temperature 
extremes, will come on almost naturally. I rom 4o° to 
50° may bo considered a fair average night temperature 
after the buds are broken. In addition to plenty of air, 
a little shade may be given during the heat of the day, 
when the leaves are tender, and the sun powerful. 
If the plants do not come on fast enough, it is easy to 
give a little more heat, but with great caution, or the 
flowers will be deficient in colouring, and the foliage 
weak, instead of robust. Manure-waterings must be 
given, and especially after the buds appear. Gentle 
dustings overhead from the syringe, iu tho afternoon, 
will also assist them. If some plants come too early, 
you must place them under canvass, or under glass with 
a north aspect. 
When the plants have finished blooming, they may be 
sheltered for a few days, so as to inure them by degrees 
to the full sun. When placed at length in such a position, 
it is better to protect the pot by matting, by a mound 
of earth, or turf, on its south side, than by plunging it 
in the ground. By plunging, less watering would be 
required, and if that mode is resolved upon, the pot 
should stand hollow, that no water may remain at 
