fife 
By Henry T. Williams. 
Vol. IV. 
NEW YORK, JULY, 1875. 
No. 43. 
Price 12 Cents. 
WINTER BLOOMING ROSES. 
There is no flower that will give greater pleasure to 
the amateur florist than winter blooming roses. But 
these cannot he had by lifting old plants that have 
bloomed during the summer, or by slips planted a few 
months before they are wanted to bloom. They must 
have a year's growth, and good care during the sum¬ 
mer months. In the first place, you want a good 
supply, and of the best kinds. I often see the ques¬ 
tion asked, “ What are the best roses for winter 
bloom?” and then comes a long list, and a good one, 
perhaps, but rather puzzling to one who has had no 
experience in the matter. I have found the White 
Daily to bloom more freely in winter 
than any other rose, and a Hermosa 
will repay you for your trouble, with 
its fresh, pink flowers; then you want 
a red one, and the Agrippina is the 
best; and I never can dispense with 
the Safrauo’s lovely copper-colored 
buds. If you want a still greater 
variety, the Isabella Sprunt is a beau¬ 
tiful Tea Rose, of a pale Canary yel¬ 
low. All these require the same 
treatment. Plant the slips in the 
fall, either in a saucer of wet sand 
placed in the sun, or a box of damp 
earth, whichever you succeed best 
with. When well rooted, pot, using- 
small pots at first, and as roots ap¬ 
pear through the opening in the bot¬ 
tom, re-pot, using always one size 
larger pot and good, rich earth. Soil 
taken from an old hot-bed mixed 
with sand and street-sweepings I find 
the best. If you have not the hot 
bed to fall back upon any good loamy 
soil will do, provided it is free of 
worms, for their presence checks the 
growth of these young roses very 
soon, and makes the earth hard and 
sour. They should be kept during 
spring, summer and fall, on a stand 
where they would have morning sun 
without danger of being dried up by 
the heat at mid-day. Their first win¬ 
ter should be spent in a like situa¬ 
tion, only in-doors. Wash frequently 
in warm water, to keep off dust and 
insects. Pinch off any buds that 
make their appearance too soon. When the time 
comes for taking in house 
States is about the 
give them the same 
had the winter be- 
were but tiny slips, 
weak guano water 
with a few drops of 
a week, and I am 
warded with b loom 
•plants, which in the Middle 
middle of October, 
goodexposure they 
fore when they 
Force gently with 
warm water 
ammonia in it, once 
sure you will be re- 
that will surprise 
quantity before, but only an occasional bud here and 
there. Treated in this way, they cannot help bloom¬ 
ing. To be sure it takes a little time, and not a little 
patience, and if you begin now you will not have 
flowers this winter. So while your slips are coming 
on, you cannot do better than to enclose to some 
florist as I did, one dollar, and receive in return by 
mail five beautiful little winter blooming roses, with 
their buds peeping out now, as if they could not wait 
till winter. You would find it a satisfactory transac¬ 
tion, I think. But I must not crowd anything more 
into this talk, for ideas, like plants, are the better for 
plenty of air and room. E. L. S. 
Laurestinus for Rooms. —This is 
an evergreen Viburnum, and a charm¬ 
ing plant. It is the winter belle of 
English house-grounds, blooming al¬ 
most alone, but gaily and profusely, 
from soon after Christmas till the 
flowers of May come trooping in. It 
is so well endued with vigor and ver¬ 
satility as to bear without any falter¬ 
ing even so great a change as that 
from the foggy air of an English 
winter, or from the warm rocks of its 
native Mediterranean, to the dry air of 
an American living room. It is not 
unlike our own Kalmias in its appear¬ 
ance, but is more trim in its carriage 
and more good humored in its nature. 
Its dark green leaves are wavy, hairy, 
and borne on red petioles. The heads 
of white flowers open at first with a 
soft tinge of rose-color, becoming pure 
white, showing beautifully on the 
deep green and purplish red. No other 
plant in the collection before me so¬ 
laces the eye so pleasantly. The in¬ 
dividual blossoms resemble those of 
the elder. The plants are easily in¬ 
creased by cuttings or offsets, and 
they bloom after one summer’s 
growth. Set out again in the spring, 
either in sunshine or in partial shade. 
It requires no special care until it is 
taken up in September and put in a 
well drained pot, to be sheltered from 
the severe autumn frosts. In Janu¬ 
ary, if taken into a warm room, and 
and delight you L you have never had roses in any j watered well, it null continue issuing new shoots. 
Designs for Rustic House and Bridge. 
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