4 
THE FLORIST AND POMOLOGIST. 
[January, 
November far to seek. The vital force of 
the plant is greater, its fluids more active, 
the earth and the air are warmer. Here we 
have four stimulating influences at once 
brought to bear upon the Rose—all forcing it 
to re-establish its root-hold on the earth as 
promptly as possible. Either of these stimu¬ 
lants are of immense importance, but the four 
combined cause the plants to advance by 
leaps and bounds towards their complete re¬ 
establishment in the earth. 
The latter is of vital moment to the well¬ 
being of Roses. Stereotyped systems of 
transplanting Roses and other plants have 
arisen chiefly from mistaken notions about 
the so-called rest of plants. Winter has been 
too literally accepted as the dead season—a 
time of complete rest, or suspension of grow¬ 
ing or vital force. Hence November or 
December being the months of least growth in 
the open air, it was assumed that these were 
also the best for transplanting. It is now 
found, however, that root-disturbance is one 
of the most powerful stimulators of root 
activity. Hardly is a Rose lifted than the 
severed or unsoiled roots make abnormal 
haste to renew their connection with the soil. 
The sooner, too, this connection is re-estab¬ 
lished the better for the plants. Hence the 
importance of planting Roses at such time, and 
under such favouring conditions of vital force 
and fluid, and of warmth of earth and air, as 
shall favour the immediate emission of new 
roots. 
We now plant Roses not to rest their roots 
through the winter, but to push them as far 
and wide in their new root runs as possible. 
No sooner are the roots (if deep enough, or 
protected by surface mulchings from being 
severely frozen) in full activity, than the 
danger from transplantation is bridged over. 
That chiefly consists in the detachment of the 
roots from the soil. The later the season, the 
colder the soil and air, and the more sluggish 
and weakly the movements of the sap, the 
longer this critical stage of the plant is pro¬ 
longed, and the greater its danger in conse¬ 
quence. 
A good deal of confusion of thought has 
arisen on the theory and practice of transplan¬ 
tation by carrying this analogy between root 
and top growth too far. The semi-rest of 
the top in winter, it has been too readily 
assumed, represents a similar rest of the foots. 
This is quite a mistake. There is strong 
evidence to prove that the late autumn and 
early winter months are seasons of abnormal 
root activity, and -this especially so in all 
cases of root disturbance. Lift a Rose or 
other plant in October or early in November ; 
it makes hosts of fresh roots at once. Defer 
the lifting till December or January ; it roots 
but little till far on in the spring. 
Neither do the tops rest in winter. The 
process of bud filling proceeds all the while, 
unless the fluids of the plants are frozen or 
nearly so. Thus the bursting of spring buds 
is largely the result of their slow and sure 
filling during winter. The two seasons and 
processes are less two than one only—spring 
but finishes what winter begins and carries 
on ; and the bursting of tender leaves and 
bright flowers in the spring-tide, is but the 
culmination or finishing touch of the winter 
filling. If this be so, and there cannot be a 
doubt about it, the quality of the Rose-buds 
and blossoms, and the character of their 
growth, must be largely determined by the 
number and activity of the Rose roots during 
winter. Hence the vital importance of early 
planting on our Rose harvests, and the future 
health and stability of our Roses.— D. T. Fish, 
Hardwick. 
PROLIFEROUS LADY FERNS. 
I N a batch of young Ferns raised from spores 
provided by Mr. P. Neill Fraser, of Edin- 
r: ,. burgh, two distinct forms of Athyrium 
Filix-fccmina have appeared this season 
(1882) presenting the abnormal characteristics 
represented in the accompanying figures. 
In fig. 1 the first frond evolved from the 
prothallus, besides being bipinnate and very 
foliose instead of having the usual uni-palmate 
form peculiar to seedlings of this family, bore 
two buds, one in the axil of a pinnule, the 
other in the axil of a pinnulet. These buds 
without any dormant period developed at once 
small palmate fronds and aerial roots, the 
growth being so vigorous that the roots were 
projected into a mound of soil raised at a dis¬ 
tance of half an inch. The second frond pro¬ 
duced bears four buds, which are, however, 
dormant, the growing season being over. In 
