•24f) THE COTTAGE GARDENER AND COUNTRY 
they would stand, the first winter there if the parent 
plants would ; hut I would mulch between the rows, and 
also give them room enough to stand there the tiist 
season. 
The next point, and the most important, is the choice 
of Rose cuttings; for under a simple, plain system like 
this I must conclude that the reader knows very little 
indeed about the subject in hand, that he is eager after 
this information, and that he or she believes every word 
I say. All the Roses in this kingdom have flowered 
last June except so and so ; but no amateur would wish 
cuttings of a so-and-so Rose, therefore we will pass 
them altogether; and every Rose which bloomed in 
June, from the old Cabbage Rose, the best of the race, 
to the young and handsome Isabella Grey, ought to be 
“regulated” in July, if ever so little, although people 
seldom do so in these days; yet July is the most proper 
time in the whole year for pruning to effect a regular form 
in Roses, no matter the kinds. Now, it is from the July 
priming that all amateurs should look for their summer 
cuttings of Roses, and from no other part of the bush or 
tree upon any consideration whatever, and they can 
no more part from it than grasp the Scotch Thistle with 
impunity. In all full-grown Roses of the Perpetual classes 
some of the more crowded shoots which have flowered 
in June ought to be cut out entirely, to make room for 
young shoots to blossom in the autumn, and two-thirds 
or more of all the bloomed shoots on the stronger sum¬ 
mer Roses ought also to be cut out from the very bottom 
in July, and in July only , to make room for those shoots 
that are to bloom next June. In looking over the Roses 
you will find now that the June Roses “ bloomed” prin¬ 
cipally on short side-shoots from the shoots of last year’s 
growth, that a shoot or more at the top of the old one 
ran up more than those lower down on that shoot; but 
have nothing to do with any of the shoots which 
“ bloomed” if they are over five inches long or less than 
two inches, and never make a July Rose cutting but 
from a shoot which has just bloomed if you can get 
enough of them, but if not take side-shoots only of about 
the same length and hardness as those that have given 
the first bloom. 
As this is to be a hot, dry season the cuttings must be 
made with less of the leaves about them than is gene¬ 
rally done, and if they are to be fully in the open air 
very little of the leaves must be left on; say the cutting 
is just four inches long, the three topmost leaves must 
be left on, and each of them to be cut in two, leaving 
three half leaves to such a cutting, and two only to shorter 
ones. Three half inches is the proper depth to put in 
July Rose cuttings if they are under glass, and two 
inches in the open air; but in case St. Swithin should 
really hold out this season you had better put them a 
little deeper in the open air. 
To make Rose cuttings from these short side-shoots 
slip them from the parent shoot by a downward pull. 
This gives them a heel, and the heel preserves the bot¬ 
tom from rotting, which is the great danger in all Rose 
cuttings; but these shoots being nearly ripe down at the 
heel, the heel may be pared with a sharp knife to half 
its thickness on the split side. This will facilitate the 
formation of roots. 
If you try to make layers of Roses so late as this (and 
they will root now faster than at any time, though the 
layers ought not to be taken off till the spring), recollect 
that no part is so fit as the growth of this summer, and 
the tongue of the layer must be on the upper side; then 
turn gently till the tongue is free from the cut. 
D. Beaton. 
P.S.—Tn Mr. Upright’s valuable list of hardy plants 
in*bloom at Southampton on the 20th of June, p. 240, is 
Ranunculus amplexicaulis, which I have been hunting 
for for a long time as one of the earliest of our spring 
flowers. His plant is a foot high, but my kind is hardly 
GENTLEMAN’S COMPANION, July 21, 1857. 
six inches, and is never in bloom after the end of March. 
Mr. Jackson, of Kingston, had my plant four years back, 
but some one bought it up before they had any increase 
from it, and I know not where to find it. 1 should like 
to see a flower and leaf of the Southampton plant. The 
pretty little bulb called Calliprora alba 1 never knew to 
bloom near London till the end of July, nor more than 
to one-half the height of his plant. Here is shown the 
difference of climate on the southern coast. 
INPLUENCE OF COLOUR IN HEATING, &c.— 
CONCRETING AND TARRING THE SURFACE 
OF BORDERS. 
“I have seen it recommended in papers on Vine borders 
to concrete the surface , covering it with a coat of gas tar, 
the result of which is to increase the warmth of the ground, 
while the use of pipes admits of its being watered when 
necessary. I am induced to ask whether you think that 
covering the surface of the ground with common slates would 
be attended with the same effect. I have put down a few ; 
but, though the surface of the slates is so hot that you can 
hardly bear to touch them, the ground beneath them seems 
to be no hotter than ground exposed to the sun in an ordinary 
way.”—P. 
I am sure that our correspondent will forgive this part 
of his letter having such a prominent place, were it for 
nothing else than holding up a beware of drawing con¬ 
clusions .from any articles in this work in any respect 
different from their legitimate purports, and also for 
clearing away some mists that seem so bewildering to 
young beginners. The question was lately put to 
several young gardeners whether, in similar circum¬ 
stances otherwise, ground that was hard and unmoved, 
or ground well stirred at the surface, would become 
the hottest in summer, and the verdict was given un¬ 
hesitatingly in favour of the stirred ground ; and, if this 
should be proved to be correct, then I fear that much 
of our practice in this respect is based on error. 
The concreting and tarring the surface of Vine borders 
in certain circumstances have not been spoken of in this 
work so much as a means of increasing warmth in the 
soil as for keeping that soil in a state of comfortable 
dryness in winter and spring. No doubt this dryness 
indirectly contributed to warmth, inasmuch as the cold 
rains of winter could not get in, and, whether covered or 
exposed in spring or early summer, there would be less 
of the cooling effects of evaporation, because there was 
comparatively little moisture to exhale. Our youngest 
readers will better understand what I mean if they will 
recollect how hot and uncomfortable they felt in one of 
those very warm days of June, and what a relief it was 
when the perspiration broke freely from every pore of the 
skin. This was just evaporation producing coolness, 
and presents one reason why persons from these tem¬ 
perate latitudes who do not perspire freely cannot live 
long in warm countries. Now, the heat of the sun acts 
upon the soil just as it does on our bodies; for so long 
as there is an abundance or a redundance of moisture 
in it to be exhaled by evaporation, just so long will it 
be before the soil becomes greatly heated. 
Hence the importance of well drained land, or soil 
open and naturally dry, for all kinds of spring crops. 
The sun heats such soil at once. On wet soils the 
contest goes on between heating and drying by the 
rays of the sun and cooling by evaporation, and there¬ 
fore they lag behind the drier soil, because, other things 
being equal, they can only be equally heated when 
equally dried. As an example, take a bottle of water, 
cork it, and wrap it tightly iu a dry, black, woollen 
cloth, and set it right in the sun: you will see how soon 
it will get warm. Any cloth would do, but I mention 
black as being a good absorbent of heat. Take a second 
