THE FLORAL WORLD AND GARDEN GUIDE. 109 



tion of the growth and the production of fine flowers. The subject of 

 pruning admits of both general and particular treatment. As a 

 matter of course we dispose of generalities first, and, with the 

 reader's kind permission, will suppose that the reader knows nothing 

 at all about pruning. 'Now, in the absence of technical knowledge, 

 common-sense is sometimes useful, and any one ignorant of the 

 niceties of rose-culture may make a pretty safe guess about the 

 pruning of a rose by the aid of common-sense alone. Suppose it 

 presents a number of very long whip-like shoots, we should say 

 Nature intended those long shoots for some useful purpose, and to 

 cut them all away would be murder. But we might observe in one 

 part of the growth two or three of these long shoots entangled and 

 crowded, and it might occur that to remove one or two, in order to 

 leave ample room for the full development of the others, would be 

 sensible ; so far common-sense might suggest, and science would 

 respond in approval. Next we might turn to a rose of short, stubby, 

 twiggy growth, and be perplexed about the pruning in this case. 

 It may have been observed that, on this rose, the finest flowers were 

 always produced on young, vigorous, and rather greenish shoots, and 

 this would suggest the advisability of getting rid of some of the old 

 hard, dark-coloured wood, bristling with little twigs, on which roses 

 were borne long ago. This would be just the course that science re- 

 quires, for the essence of the subject may be summed up in this — that 

 the pruner should, as far as possible, promote perpetual renewal of 

 the tree, and look to the latest growths for a display of flowers. 



All roses that have free-growing bushes, such as the Hybrid 

 Perpetuals, Gallicas, and Bourbons, may, when grown on their own 

 roots, be left altogether unpruned, and they will be splendid objects 

 from year to year. This is rank heterodoxy, I know, but it is true, 

 and I confess I have always enjoyed a great bank of roses, of about 

 a di zen different kinds, that have never once been pruned during the 

 past fifteen years, but have become huge bushes, that, in their season, 

 are literally smothered with flowers. This system, however, must not 

 be followed if flowers fit for exhibition are required ; indeed, to in- 

 sure high quality, we must practise pruning by rule, and be content 

 with a few flowers. Probably, nine-tenths of all our readers would 

 prefer a brave show of garden roses to the production of a few 

 flowers of the most perfect form, and beyond the average in size, 

 and to all such we commend the simple plan of planting the most 

 robust-habited and free-flowering sorts on their own roots, and leav- 

 ing them to grow almost wild, and in happy ignorance of the pruning 

 knife, and without a stake or tie to disfigure their natural graceful- 

 ness. "We will now treat of particular modes of pruning, taking 

 the families in the same order as they are treated of in the " Bose 

 Book." 



Cabbage Eoses should be pruned rather close, all the longest 

 shoots being cut back to about a third of their original length. 

 They will then, from the half dozen buds left on each plump shoot, 

 put forth noble clusters of flowers. 



Moss Roses require to be pruned in the same manner as advised 

 for cabbage roses. 



