THE FLOEAL WOELD AND GAEDEN GUIDE. 



18- 



be shortened down to four or five buds the 

 first season of planting. 



Weeping Roses (which are vigorous grow- 

 ing varieties, worked five to seven feet high) 

 merely require the gross unripe shoots and 

 those which are over-crowded to be taken 

 out, and the others left unpruued. These 

 for the first year or two should be trained 

 round a small iron hoop placed underneath 

 the head of the plant ; in a short time they 

 will form most beautiful pendulous trees, re- 

 quiring little or no pruning. 



Protecting. — The whole of the Tea- 

 scented, China, and the greater portion of 

 the Noisettes, will require to be protected 

 more or less, otherwise they will not with- 

 stand the long and continuous frosts and 

 north-easterly winds, which have of late 

 years been so prevalent throughout the 

 spring months. The following is the plan I 

 have adopted during the last few years for 

 protecting the tender- budded varieties grown 

 as standards or pillars ; and nothing can be 

 more easily applied, or more completely resist, 

 the effects of frost. In the first place have 

 a quantity of hay-bands twisted ■ and rolled 

 up into convenient lengths ; let a stake be 

 driven into the ground close to the plant, 

 and sufficiently long to pass through the 

 head of the plant to the extent of the 

 shoots ; draw the branches up together, and 

 tie the whole moderately close to the stake, 

 so that the hay-bands may be easily turned 

 round the whole of the head, commencing at 

 the lower part or collar of the bud. About 

 this, let the bands be put on quite close, but 

 towards the middle, and on the upper part of 

 the plant, leave a little space between the 

 coils of the ropes to admit air during damp 

 weather. In the northern and colder parts 

 of England, it is a good, and, perhaps, the 

 best practice, to take up, about November, 

 all the Tea-scented and China varieties, and 

 place them against a south wall, and in very 

 severe weather to put a little matting before 

 them. In the spring, say early in March, 

 re-plant them where they grew before, put- 

 ting in a little fresh loam and rotten dung. 

 The best protection for tender varieties upon 

 their own roots, is afforded by half- decayed 

 leaves placed two or three inches thick upon 

 the surface of the bed : moss will also do, 

 but will require to be pegged down, or stones 

 placed upon it to prevent the wind blowing- 

 it away. 



A lighter protection for the heads than 

 that recommended for the Standards, will 

 suffice for these ; if the roots and crowns of 

 the plants are well preserved, a sufficient 

 quantity of shoots will be produced from 

 them to replace any that are killed down. A 

 few fern branches placed about the head, is 

 usually sufficient. 



Insects. — The Rose is attacked by many 

 insects throughout the spring, summer, and 

 autumn, but the most destructive are the 

 " green rose-grub," (the larva of the rose 

 moth) the " black-headed grub," and the 

 " green aphis," each of which appears upon 

 the plants as soon as they show signs of 

 vegetation. 



The large green grub is most destructive 

 to the foliage, and the small black-headed 

 grub to the young bloom buds and shoots. 

 The only effectual way of getting rid of 

 these pests, is to look over the plants daily 

 and pick them off; when not feeding, they 

 are to be found enveloped amongst the 

 leaves. To destroy the green-fly, I have 

 found syringing with a weak decoction of 

 tobacco and soft soap, the most economical 

 and effectual remedy. Where a quantity of 

 plants is to be done, take one pound of to- 

 bacco and two pounds of soft soap ; to these 

 add six quarts of boiling water, and let the 

 whole stand a day or two until the soap is 

 dissolved ; then strain the liquor through a 

 piece of coarse canvas, and add nine or ten 

 gallons of water; with this diluted fluid, 

 syringe the plants infested, or, otherwise 

 well moisten the whole of the leaves and 

 shoots. If necessary, repeat this operation 

 twice* or ^tliree times, and also syringe oc- 

 casionally with clear spring water. Fumi- 

 gating with tobacco is a good and affectual 

 way u of destroying green-fly, but means 

 must be devised to confine the smoke, other- 

 wise it will be of little use. About the end 

 of July and August, the "antler rose saw- 

 fly " may be found devouring the foliage ; 

 this caterpillar may be seen holding fast to 

 the leaves, generally upon the under-side, 

 and being of a green colour, is often unob- 

 served until it has destroyed much of the 

 foliage of the plants. Here too, again, hand 

 picking is the only effectual resource. 



Stocks. — A few observations upon the 

 varieties of stocks upon which roses are 

 budded may not be out of place, or unaccep- 

 table to my readers. The wild Dog Rose 

 and the Manetti (a vigorous variety of the 

 Hybrid China) are almost the only kinds 

 now generally used ; the Celine and Bour- 

 sault are used for Dwarfs by some, the 

 former is only suited for a few of the ten- 

 der Noisettes, such as Cloth of Gold, which 

 takes and flowers freely upon it ; the latter 

 is not adapted for an out-door stock, but is 

 sometimes used for pot-culture, but is not 

 equal to the Manetti. The Manetti has its 

 friends and its enemies ; — and some few extol 

 it beyond measure. 1 have grown it from 

 the second year of its introduction, and can 

 now safely venture an_ opinion respecting it. 

 For pot-culture every one must acknowledge 



