446 
JOURNAL  OF  HORTICULTURE  AND  COTTAGE  GARDENER, 
November  13,  1902. 
Roses  in  Pots. 
For  supplying  cut  flowers  during  winter  and  spring  pot 
Roses  are,  I  think,  to  be  preferred  to  those  planted  out, 
because  the  supply  can  be  regularly  maintained  by  intro¬ 
ducing  batches  into  heat  at  intervals.  Another  advantage 
is  that  in  April  or  May  the  plants  can  be  placed  in  the  open 
air,  and  the  houses  used  for  other  purposes  throughout  the 
summer  and  autumn.  Of  course,  I  have  nothing  to  say 
against  planting  out  to  cover  a  conservatory  roof  or  the  back 
wall  of  any  other  house,  but  to  have  a  house  planted  entirely 
with  Roses  seems  to  me  to  be  a  waste  of  space,  as  it  is  easy 
to  get  an  abundant  supply  of  flowers  from  the  open  air 
during  the  summer  months. 
A  variety  of  practices  are  adopted  in  regard  to  the  time 
of  potting  Roses.  The  most  usual  course,  perhaps,  is  to  pot 
in  June,  before  the  plants  are  plunged  in  the  open  air. 
This  plan  answex*s  admirably  if  the  roots  are  pretty  active 
and  the  soil  well  pei’meated  with  them  ;  but  if  they  are 
inactive,  and  the  bulk  of  the  soil  drops  away,  the  plants 
experience  a  great  check,  as  there  is  usually  some  top 
growth  going  on.  In  all  such  instances  I  prefer  to  pot  the 
plants  during  the  autumn,  and,  indeed,  that  time  answers 
well,  no  matter  what  the  condition  of  the  plants  may  be. 
Some  cultivators  do  not  repot  until  they  have  pruned,  and 
are  about  to  place  their  Roses  under  glass  ;  but  as  top 
growth  then  commences  before  roots  have  pushed  into  the 
fresh  soil,  the  best  l’esults  ai'e  not  often  obtained  under  that 
system. 
At  the  pi'esent  time  it  is  usual  to  heap  plenty  of  ashes 
over  the  sui’face  of  the  pots  to  prevent  injury  by  frost. 
Befoi’e  this  is  done  I  advise  ovei’hauling  the  whole  collec¬ 
tion,  and  repotting  those  which  require  it.  When  this  is 
done  white,  active,  young  roots  will  generally  be  emitted  at 
once  ;  then  if  some  of  the  plants  are  pruned  and  taken  into 
heat  early  in  January  they  will  be  in  the  right  condition  to 
start  away  strongly.  Fi’om  that  time  onward  additional 
batches  should  be  taken  under  glass  every  three  or  four 
weeks. 
A  simple  compost  answers  well  for  potting.  Here  is  one 
which  I  have  found  pei-fectly  satisfactory.  Thi-ee  parts  good 
loam  with  plenty  of  fibre  (if  stiff  l’ather  than  light,  so  much 
the  better),  one  part  old  cow  manure  passed  through  a 
sieve,  or  a  similar  quantity  of  fresh  horse  cRoppings.  To  a 
bushel  of  this  compost  add  a  five-inch  potful  of  bonemeal, 
and  half  that  quantity  of  soot.  Use  the  soil  in  a  fairly  dry 
state,  and  pot  fh’mly. 
Those  who  require  large  quantities  of  Roses  during  April 
and  May  next  may  get  highly  satisfactory  results  from 
strong,  young  dwarfs  lifted  fi’om  the  opexx  ground  at  once 
and  potted.  Plants  so  ti*eated  must,  of  course,  not  be 
forced,  but  brought  on  gradually  in  an  ordinary  gi’eenhouse 
temoerature. 
In  the  case  of  all  Roses  in  pots  I  believe  in  hard  pruning. 
First  cut  any  old  and  very  weak  shoots,  then  shorten  the 
remaining  ones  to  within  a  couple  of  buds  of  their  base, 
except  in  the  case  of  a  young  shoot  which  is  to  take  the 
place  of  a  branch  which  has  been  removed,  such  a  shoot,  if 
necessary,  being  left  to  from  Gin  to  9in  in  length.  The  only 
difference  I  make  in  pruning  Teas  is  to  leave  a  little  extra 
length  on  the  strong  shoots,  cutting  the  weak  and  old  ones 
completely  away.  This  treatment,  of  course,  applies  only 
to  those  grown  in  pots.  To  get  good  flowers  it  is  then 
necessax’y  to  confine  the  growth  to  a  few  buds  on  each  shoot, 
because  the  plant  has  only  a  very  limited  amount  of  root 
room. — H.  D. 
Seasonable  Treatment. 
Much  of  the  young  stock  should  now  be  in  a  vigorous  state  of 
growth.  Give  air  and  hereby  obtain  a  healthy,  hard  growth, 
which  will  ward  off  mildew  to  a  great  extent.  Of  course,  judg¬ 
ment  should  be  used  as  regards  ventilating.  As  a  geiTeral  thing 
the  temperature  should  not  be  allowed  to  go  above  72deg  to 
<4deg  on  Bride,  Bridesmaid  and  Golden  Gate,  but  occasionally 
we  have  a  day  which  is  very  windy,  with  the  sun  shining  brightly. 
On  such  a  day  as  this  it  is  better  to  allow  the  temperature  to  rise 
a  little  than  to  ventilate  fully  and  thereby  cause  a  strong 
draught.  It  pays  to  have  a  house  under  the  care  of  a  cai'eful 
and  observing  man.  Such  a  man  will  be  able  to  help  the  stock 
in  such  cases.  Although  a  thermometer  is  a  safe  guide  in  re¬ 
gard  to  heat  and  cold,  we  are  sometimes  obliged  to  vary  from  it 
when  we  see  that  our  plants  are  in  need  of  a  little  diffei'ent  treat¬ 
ment.  For  Bride,  Bridesmaid  and  Golden  Gate,  each  largely 
grown  by  marketmen,  58deg  to  GOdeg  is  the  proper  night  tem¬ 
perature,  allowing  it  to  rise  to  70deg  during  bright  days,  when 
you  can  ventilate  freely. 
For  Liberty  I  should  advise  no  lower  than  62deg  at  night. 
Of  course  this  necessitates  growing  this  Rose  otherwise  than  in 
a  house  with  Bride,  Bridesmaid  or  Golden  Gate.  If  grown  with 
these  varieties  it  is  very  liable  to  go  dormant  and  prove  a  failure. 
For  a  day  temperature  75deg  is  sufficient.  This  .  Rose  has 
proved  itself  to  be  a  stubborn  one  to  force,  and  it  is  doubtful  if  it 
is  a  paying  variety. 
Messrs.  Rochford  and  Sons,  of  Tuimford  Hall,  grow  lai'ge 
quantities  of  it,  and  speak  highly  in  its  praise. 
During  the  dark  days  the  temperatui'e  and  the  watering 
should  have  the  very  best  of  attention,  such  attention  as  only  a 
careful  and  observing  man  can  give.  When  syringing  is  done 
frequently,  the  top  of  the  soil  is  liable  to  appear  moist,  while 
that  near  the  bottom  of  the  bench  is  too  dry  to  promote  healthy 
growth.  A  careful  grower  tests  the  soil  often  by  digging  down 
here  and  there  through  the  house,  so  that  he  may  know  the  exact 
condition  of  the  soil  around  the  roots.  Syringe  only  on  bright 
days,  unless  there  is  spider  in  the  house,  and  in  order  to  keep 
this  pest  in  check  direct  the  stream  upwards,  so  it  will  strike  the 
leaves  from  underneath,  as  this  is  where  the  spider  does  its  work. 
The  first  few  crops  to  be  cut  are  liable  to  come  so  that  we  cut 
quite  heavily  for  a  short  time,  and  then  there  is  a  check  and  a 
period  during  which  the  cut  is  very  light.  It  is  at  such  a  time 
as  this  that  a  careful  waterer  will  aid  the  plants.  During  the 
time  the  crop  is  on,  the  plants  will  use  a  liberal  amount  of  water, 
but  after  the  crop  is  cut  off  be  careful  not  to  water  as  heavily,  as 
they  do  not  l'equire  it. 
■  - - 
Figs  Under  Glass. 
Early  Forced  Trees  in  Pots. 
Where  these  have  been  placed  in  the  open  air  they'  should  be 
taken  under  cover  without  delay,  as  it  is  advisable  to  prevent  the 
soil  being  soddened  by  the  autumn  rains.  If  the  trees  have  not 
been  top-dressed  or  repotted,  or  had  the  drainage  l’ectified,  this 
must  be  attended  to  without  delay ;  the  trees  should  then  be 
placed  in  a  dry,  well  ventilated,  and  cool  house.  Any  thinning  or, 
cutting  back  of  attenuated  branches  to  give  place  for  promising 
succsssional  shoots  must  be  attended  to,  and  the  trees  washed 
with  a  solution  of  paraffin  emulsion,  one  part  in  ten  parts  water, 
adding  ioz  sulphide  of  potassium,  using  a  somewhat  stiff  brush 
at  an  angle,  so  as  to  dislocate  scale  if  present. 
To  secure  ripe  Figs  in  April  and  May  a  well-heated  and  venti¬ 
lated  house  is  necessary,  and'  is  better  with  a  pit  or  pits  to  hold 
fermenting  materials.  The  pots  should  be  supported  on  loose 
brick  pillars  at  the  proper  height,  and  the  fermenting  materials 
bi'ought  up  about  the  pots.  The  trees  then  i-oot  into  the  fer¬ 
menting  materials,  and  derive  a  considerable  amount  of  nourish¬ 
ment  therefrom ;  besides,  they  can  be  fed  to  any  extent,  and  the 
trees  be  in  comparatively  small  pots  for  their  size  and1  crop. 
Early  Violet  and  St.  John’s  may  be  groxvn  for  affording  dishes  of 
very  early  fruit,  but  Brown  Tui'key  is  the  best  for  general  pur¬ 
poses. 
Early  Forced  Planted  out  Fig  Trees. 
The  trees  must  now  be  unloosed  from  the  trellis  and  pruned  ; 
those  with  the  roots  restricted  to  small  borders,  which  are  the 
most  satisfactory  in  results,  will  require  the  shoots  thinned  where 
too  crowded,  cutting  away  the  growths  that  have  reached  the 
extremity  of  the  trellis  and  are  not  longer  capable  of  producing 
fruit.  Cut  back  to  where  the  succeeding  shoots  start  from  the 
main  branches,  and  remove  old,  bare  limbs  wherever  practicable 
in  favour  of  young  and  promising  growths.  Remove  any  elon¬ 
gated  spurs,  reserving  such  as  are  short-jointed  and  promise  for 
fruit.  The  house  should  then  be  thoroughly  cleaned,  washing  the 
woodwork  with  hot  water,  soap,  and  a  brush,  and  the  walls  with 
limewash.  Wash  the  trees  with  warm,  soapy  water,  and  after¬ 
wards  dress  with  an  insecticide  ;  then  secure  the  trees  to  the 
trellis,  allowing  room  for  the  growth  of  the  branches.  Fork  the 
border  over  very  lightly,  not  injuring  the  roots  in  any  way ; 
remove  the  loose  surface  material,  supply  lin  or  2in  thickness  of 
good  calcareous  loam,  or  add  a  sixth  of  old  mortar  rubbish  to  good 
loam  ;  then,  or  before  growth  takes  place,  add  lin  thickness  of 
well  sweetened  manure,  and  this  will  tend  to  keep  the  l'oots  active 
near  the  surface  and  supply  considerable  nutrient  matter.  Venti¬ 
late  the  house  freely  at  all  times,  excepting  during  severe  weather, 
when  a  few  degrees  of  frost  will  not  injure  the  trees,  provided 
the  wood  is  thoroughly  ripe  and  the  soil  only  moderately  moist. — 
Grower. 
