STATE POMOLOGICAL SOCIETY. 145 



3'ou to look into its richly perfumed heart of hearts. Deeply' im- 

 pressed with the exquisite gradations of form and color, havino^ fin- 

 ished our selection, we are in a frame of mind to quickly pass from 

 the sentimental to the practical, and to receive hints as to the neces- 

 sary conditions of culture to secure the best results. It i> ii|><vii this 

 brancli of the sul>ject, 1 presume, that I am desired to givr mun in- 

 formation I am able to offer. 



When you plant roses, you desire an abundance of blossom and 

 •luxuriance of growth ; to produce these results, you must give the 

 necessary conditions of soil, judicious pruning, climate and location. 



Your soil, if not naturally' so, mu^t be made as nearly as possible 

 a deep, porous loam ; on the one hand, not too light and sandy, nor, 

 •on the other, too stiff and cold a clay — as nearly the happy medium 

 as possible — a retentive but thoroughly drained soil Ahnost any 

 soil can be brought to proper condition b}- spading to the depth of 

 fifteen inches, and incorporating with the natural earth weil-rotted 

 manure and sand if too heavy, and of well- rotted manure and clay, 

 -and perhaps w^ood ashes, if too light and sand}'. The rose is a 

 hearty feeder, therefore will bear annual manuring, and as results 

 are desired to follow annually also, none but ?';eZ/-rotted stable ma- 

 nure or sod should be applied, or sucli other stimulant as can be 

 readily assimilated with the soil. 



In planting in such a prepared bed, make j^our holes large enough 

 to place the roots so as not to cramp them, then press well to the 

 roots the earth first put in, but leave the surface dirt loose, so as to 

 admit rain or such artificial waterino; as mav be necessarv in a drv 

 time. An excellent liquid manure for watering the soil in immediate 

 proximity to the roots can be made by soaking the scrai)ings of the 

 <?hicken house in a barrel of water a few davs before usiui^:. 



Now as to pruning. Since the rose bears its blossoms only on the 

 young shoots of the current year's growth ^as with the grape), 

 therefore in the spring cut back the last year's wood freely, entirely 

 removing^ anv dead and half dead branches, and cuttinor back those 

 you leave to the strongest buds ; cut the unbranched shoots or canes 

 to such height as the bush is desired to be ; each bud left will make 

 a blossom-bearing branch, so don't be afraid to cut back, as from 

 them vou will oet vour finest blossoms if so treated, Roses that 

 i)loom more than once during the summer, such as the Tea, Noisette. 

 Bourbon. China, and the Hardy Monthlies, so-called, or Remontants, 

 should be pruned back after the first blossoming to a strong bud, then 

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