G4 THE GARDENER. [Feb. 



PRUNING ROSES. 



Probably no more common subject could be selected to write on than 

 this, but for all that, the pruning of Roses is far from being generally- 

 understood or rightly performed in numerous instances. I believe it 

 would be a most difficult matter to find any one who owns a Rose- 

 bush who did not profess to know how and when to prune it — and 

 indeed pruning is an operation which every one claims a knowledge 

 of ; but this does not prevent us from seeing many mistakes and omis- 

 sions in it, — such as doing it at the wrong time, cutting off what 

 should be left on, and leaving on what should be cut off, taking too 

 much away, or more frequently not taking enough. In pruning fruit- 

 trees, one can hardly be wrong in doing it any time from, the fall of the 

 leaf until the buds are swelling again ; but it is different with Roses. 

 Were they pruned in autumn like fruit-trees, a week or two of mild 

 weather might excite the buds into growth any time during January 

 or February, and the March winds would more than likely destroy all 

 our dearest prospects of a Rose crop for that year. Supposing this to 

 take place when they are not pruned, it is only the buds at the ends 

 of the shoots that start into growth ; and this does not interfere in the 

 least with the lower buds, from which all the best blooming shoots 

 come. To simplify matters, we will class our Roses according to the 

 pruning they require, and begin with 



HYBRID PERPETUALS. 



Taking the numbers in cultivation into consideration, this is the 

 most popular of all classes of Roses ; and we are glad to learn that 

 those ugly standards with long stems and tufts of heads are fast giving 

 place to the more useful dwarfs. Before beginning to prune, it should 

 be taken into consideration, that according to the time of pruning, so 

 will the blooms come. If all the Roses are pruned on one day or in 

 one week, then most of them will come into flower together. Suppos- 

 ing a portion of the stock were pruned on the last days of February, a 

 few more about the middle of March, and the last about the beginning of 

 April, a much longer succession of blooms would be had during June, 

 July, and August, than by pruning the whole of them at any of these 

 times. Season and climate must also be taken into account, as some 

 may be able to prune their Roses days or weeks before others ; but 

 from the end of February to the beginning of April will include all 

 Roses and latitudes. Some kinds of Hybrid Perpetuals grow very 

 strong, others weak. This is not always owing to cultivation, but 

 often to constitution. Shy growers are not the best for ordinary culti- 

 vators. Those of the Paul Neron type are the kind. As their growth 

 so must the pruning be. Strong growers will always bear hard cut- 

 ting. The more wood they have formed, the more must be taken out. 

 The strongest shoots should be cut in to three or four buds from the 



