82 
THE FLORIST’S JOURNAL. 
when they are cultivated. Rich soil contributes also to the pro¬ 
ducing of the same effect, because it retains and applies to the 
roots of the plants more humidity than they have in their natural 
soil, excepting such as grow in marshy grounds, or are absolutely 
aquatic ; and any one may observe that marshy grounds are not 
nearly so flowery as those which are more dry. The grand na¬ 
tural stimulus to flowering, and especially to the fertilizing of 
flowers appears on the other hand to be the influence of the sun 
as direct and full as the habit of the plant will bear. Supposing 
the sky to be as cloudless over the humid surface as over the 
dry one. It is always colder over the former, and a portion of 
the solar influence is consumed in the production of this cold. 
The immediate cause of the cold is evaporation ; and though the 
vapour may not be discernible by us, it diminishes the sun’s 
effect in more ways than one. In the first place, the vapour 
breaks and disperses the rays of the sun, and renders their pas¬ 
sage more difficult; and in the second place, the vapour, or 
rather the moisture, when passing into vapour, actually consumes 
a portion of the sun’s influence—for it is that influence which 
produces and sustains moisture in a state of vapour; and this 
diminution of effect is always greater, in proportion as the sun¬ 
beams are warmer. This, by the way, is the reason why water, 
even warm water, is injurious to many plants when they are very 
hot, and more injurious to the flowers than to any other parts 
of them ; but the watering of flowers is a very nice study and 
operation, and will require to be treated of in a separate article. 
Roses, especially cultivated roses, and more so still, if they are 
natives of climates more warm and dry thaq our own, require 
very skilful watering. We never find our native roses in boggy 
grounds, though some of them grow in shaded situations, and 
this as a general principle should guide us in the treatmentof roses. 
Our common dog-rose, though it always grows naturally in rich 
soils, and can hardly be cultivated artificially, is never met with 
in boggy or marshy places. It is of great use to study the cha- 
racterofthe dog-rose, because it is by far the best stem upon which 
to bud the finer roses. If in a proper soil, it is easily stimulated 
and grows most vigorously ; and in consequence it renders more 
energy to the tender roses which are budded upon it than any 
other standard whatsoever. But still, in the using of it, atten¬ 
tion should be paid to the situation and quality of the soil; be- 
