70 
GENERAL HINTS. 
gardener who can produce his plants without supports, is die one 
who deserves a prize for his skill; not the man who draws a plant till 
it cannot support itself, and then keeps it up with framework. 
There is much to be done in the choice of roses, for particular 
objects. Those inclined to droop should be on very tall stalks, for 
their pendulous habit is very handsome, and renders the tree a beau¬ 
tiful drooping object; those for bushes ought to be short jointed and 
close habited, as best suited to dwarfs, and so also will they be found 
for dwarf standards. 
The general routine for rose culture is given both as respects the 
general collection, and also for seedlings; and with attention to what 
has been here written, we think a mere novice may, with a little 
enterprise, beat one who grows upon any other system. 
Few people are aware of the injustice sometimes done to roses, 
which are condemned as worthless, when the culture alone is the 
cause of their misbehavior. The Rose is a fidgety customer. The 
French people are famous for raising new varieties, and describing 
them as very superb; the English and American nurserymen buy 
them as soon as they can be obtained, and describe them to their 
customers as something recherche; they are purchased by amateur 
cultivators upon the strength of such characters, grown for a 
year, and too often thrown away as worthless. Once for all, let us 
inform our readers, that no Rose can be depended on for growing to 
its character under the third season. The effect of poor culture is to 
make a Double Rose semi-double and single; and that which would 
be rich culture to anything else, may be poor to the Rose, because if 
it be not suitable, it may as well be poor. 
There are many things which affect the Rose, but the principal one 
is tantamount to saying that it does not feel itself at home. European 
nurserymen often propagate roses rather too mechanically ; the greater 
part of them are “made to sell.” So long as the stock will keep the 
bud alive, and let it grow, that is all the nurseryman asks or wishes. 
Now, it is quite certain that a stock without mucl root will live r and 
hundreds of plants sent from abroad are of this description. There 
may be strength enough in the stock to grow and bloom the kind 
upon it, but as the stock is not fairly at home, the first year is often 
wasted in making root enough to lay hold of the ground, and during 
this period, the head is grown but poorly. 
