205 
ON FORCING ROSES. 
TO THE EDITOR OF THE FLORIST^ JOURNAL. 
Sir, —As some of your readers may be amateurs who, like 
myself, are desirous of embellishing their greenhouses in the early 
part of the year, a time when any flower is acceptable, and who 
may also resemble me in being their own gardener, I am in¬ 
duced to offer you the following remarks on the preparation 
and forcing of the rose, a flower which even in June never fails 
of admirers; but when seen amid the frost and cold of the early 
spring, is in my opinion quite without a rival. 
I must preface my remarks by informing you I have a rather 
small greenhouse in which I keep a miscellaneous collection of 
plants, and at one end a part of it partitioned off, which I keep 
rather warmer, and use it for forcing plants and roots for early 
flowering. In it I have a small bark bed, which I find extremely 
handy, and in this little place I am able to force a' few plants, 
such as acacias, azaleas, kalmias, lilacs, roses, &c., together 
with hyacinths, tulips, and other roots, and also to raise tender 
seeds. I mention this to show you how much may be done in 
a small place, if proper judgment is used. But to proceed with 
my method of forcing roses. It must be previously understood 
that all roses require to be at least one year in pots previous to 
their being forced, and as the season is just at hand, I would 
advise all those who have the means, to pot as many as 
they can accommodate. The best kinds for forcing are the 
Common and Moss Provence, (all the moss roses are more or less 
beautiful,) the Four Seasons, and the Rose de Roi , I particu¬ 
larly select these for their fragrance, but most of the China 
roses may be had in flower through the spring for very little 
trouble, but they are rather deficient in scent. Having selected 
good strong dwarf plants of the above kinds, I pot them into 
large pots, that is such as will hold them conveniently without 
confining the roots too much ; I use rich loam lightened with a 
little leaf-mould for potting, this I do as soon as the foliage is off 
the plants, pruning them in rather close at the same time; I 
then plunge them in old tan or ashes, and let them remain till 
the following autumn, when I again prune them, though not so 
