November 1, 1907 
THE AUSTRALIAN GARDENER. 
9 
AROSES:* 
While other departments of floriculture 
have made wonderful progress durin, the 
past ten years, in none of them has it 
been as great asin the winter forcing of 
roses, and to-day hundreds of large estab- 
lishments are devoted to this work, while 
every small florist has his rose heuse, and 
the sale of cut blooms generally equals 
the amount received from all other fluwers 
combined, 
Although it is true that roses, to be 
successfully grown, require careful atten- 
tion, it is not true that there is any won- 
derful secret that one must acquire in 
order to grow them, and, while the inex- 
perienced rose grower cannot expect the 
highest sucess, it is hoped that if the 
directions here given are carefully fol- 
lowed many mistakes may be prevented. 
The work of the rose grower generally 
begins with the propagation aud growing 
of the plants, and therefore we will com- 
mence with that operation and follow 
along with the various steps as the season 
advances, 
Rose plants for forcing purposes are 
generally grown from cuttings of the new 
wood. The rule generally given for learn- 
ing if the plants are in proper condition 
to be used for cuttings, ie, when in 
bending a branch the wood snaps, does 
not hold for roses, as cuttings should not 
be made until the buds in the axils of the 
leaves have become firm and hard. Some 
consider that the lower buds ona stem 
are in good condition vhn the flower 
buds are ready to be cut. while others 
believe that the best time for making the 
cuttings is when the Luds begin to show 
color. At any rate, the cuttings should 
be made before the leaf buds begin to 
swell. The cuttings made as soon as the 
buds have formed ant the wood has lost 
its sucaulent nature, will root quicker and 
a much larger per cent. of them will form 
roots, or ‘strike’ as it is called, If the 
‘variety is a new and choice one the blind 
shocts or those that have not formed 
flower buds, are often used for making 
* cuttings. 
While it may be done occa- 
sionally without marked injury, if per- 
sisted in the tendency will be to develop 
plants that form few flowering stems, and 
the results will not be satisfactory, so that 
the eontinued use of the blind shoots is 
not to be recommended. 
When the stems have long internodes, 
and particularly if it is a nev sort, a 
cutting should be obtained from every 
go d bud, but those at the lower part of 
the stem and all at the upper portion that 
are to any extent soft and succulent 
should be rejected, The cuttings of 
‘varieties with short joints should contain 
two or more buds, Cuttings should be 
from 1} to 3 inches long, with one bud 
near the top at any rate and with the 
lower end cut off smoothly at right angles 
with a sharp knife. If the upper leaf is 
large about one-half of it should be cut 
away and the other leaves {if any) should 
be rubbed off. 
The cuttings should be dropped into 
water to prevent their drying out, and as 
soon as possible should be placed in the 
propagating bed, This should contain 
about four inches of clean sharp sand of 
_ medium fineness, and should have heating 
“pipes beneath to give bottom heat. Set 
the cuttings in rows about 2 inches apart 
and three-fourths of an inch in the row 
and press the sand firmly about them... 
At once wet them down thoroughly, and 
if the weather is clear and bright the beds 
should be shaded during the middle of 
the day for the first week. The propa- 
gating house should be kept at a tempera- 
ture at night of 58 or 60 degrees with 
about 10 degrees more of bottom heat. 
During the day it should bo well venti- 
lated to keep up the bottom heat and 
thus promote root development and to 
admit fresh air, but a temperature 10 
degrees higher than at night is desirable. 
In about three or four weeks with 
proper care eyery cutting should be rooted. 
_ The requirements for success as noted 
above are:—Good cuttings, clean sharp 
sand, a proper temperature, shading when 
necessary, and an occasional wetting down 
of the bed in order that the cuttings may 
not any time become dry. If the house 
is inclined to dry out, or if the weather is 
bright, the cuttings as well as the walks 
should be sprinkled occasionaliy and the 
ventilation shouid have careful attention. 
It is best to use fresh sand for each batch 
of cuttings. 
When the roots are three-fourths of an 
inch long the cuttings shonld be potted 
off into 2 or 2} inch pots, pressing the 
soil firmly. The best soil for the potting 
of rose cuttings is made of equal parts of 
leaf mold, or decayed pasture sods, and 
garden loain, with a little cow manure 
and bore meal, and sand in proportion 
to the heaviness of the soil. After being 
potted the cuttings should be placed in a | 
