Transplanting And Potting

Early in autumn, immediately after rain, remove both worked plants and others from the ground. Such as have grown moderately, with well ripened wood, should be chosen. The pots best suited are numbers thirty-two, twenty-four, sixteen and twelve, according to the size of the plant, and they should be well drained. The soil should be pressed firmly in the pots, watering freely afterwards, through a fine rose, to settle the soil.

"The cultivation of the autumnals, on their own roots, may be commenced at any season, as they are usually kept growing in pots. If purchased in spring, in sixties, they may be immediately shifted into forty-eights, then plunged, and watered continually as required. Our aim being to get the plants strong, they should not be suffered to flower, but endeavour, through the growing season, to bring them to form only a few vigorous shoots. To accomplish this it is advisable to rub out some of the buds when first pushing, but keeping in view the handsome formation of the plant.

"The plantsmay be shifted on through the season; and in the following spring we shall probably find them in sixteen or twelve-sized pots, preparing for a vigorous growth and bloom.

Thinning Out

When potting, all suckers should be cut from the worked plants, and straggling shoots shortened back to within a few eyes. Where too thick, some of the shoots may be cut out entirely, from three to ten, according to the age or growth of the plant, being in most cases sufficient. Thinning, in summer, immediately after flowering, is very beneficial. The best ripened shoots should be left, and such as stand in the best position. These may be shortened in November and March, some at both periods, to obtain an early and late bloom.

Soil

Two parts of fresh turfy loam, broken up but not sifted, two parts manure (road gatherings laid by for a season, or the remains of a hot-bed not too far decomposed), and one part burnt earth.

"This compost should be thrown up in a heap in autumn, and turned two or three times during winter, and a little newly slaked lime scattered throughout to destroy worms and grubs. This ia the soil used for the moss, but for the delicate varieties, (Chinese, etc.,) it may be improved by the addition of one part leaf-mould or well pulverized manure".

Protection

After potting, the plants taken from the ground, should be removed to a cold pit, syringing and shading if sunny weather, for a week or ten days. It will be well if the tender varieties can be allowed to remain in the pit during winter, at which season they require scarcely any water, otherwise they should be removed to the north side of a wall or fence, and a thatch of fern or beech boughs, with the leaves on, formed. The hardy ones may be removed from the pits about a month after being potted, and plunged at once in the open ground where intended to be grown and flowered.

Pruning

About the middle of November pruning may be performed, in order to effect an early bloom. The plants having been thinned out previously, all that is now required, is the shortening in of the remaining shoots.

Among the hybrid Chinese, the two favourite old roses, Brennus and Ful-gens, both vigorous growers, frequently occasion great disappointment by not blooming. The failure will probably be found to arise from the method of pruning.

These roses, and others of like habit, should be well thinned out, but the shoots that are left for flowering shortened but little. Others of the same class (hybrid Chinese), that are weak growers, may be shortened in close, such are General Allard and Lady Stuart.

There are also varieties of intermediate growth, which may be pruned in proportion. The classes Gallica, Provence, and Moss, may be pruned closer than the hybrid Chinese.

The autumnal roses there is but little fear of pruning out of bloom; early or late, they are sure to flower. These, when grown on their own roots, should be cut down almost close to the ground, to induce them to throw up suckers from beneath, which will grow much stronger than shoots formed above ground, and flower beautifully through the summer and autumn. One point too should be borne in mind, that roses, when grown in pots, may be pruned closer than when grown in the open garden.