REMARKS ON ROSES. 



367 



them, should be fixed firmly in the ground 

 before the Rose is planted; if afterwards, the 

 roots will be damaged more or less, and the 

 plant's growth checked, perhaps for a whole 

 year. Begin right, and you save both time 

 and trouble. 



PRUNING ROSES. 



This is an important operation, and the 

 objects to be attained by it should be well 

 understood. These are, to compensate for 

 the loss of the root that has to nourish the 

 head, by reducing it more or less ; to give a 

 proper shape to the plant, according as you 

 grow it as a bush or as a standard ; or, in 

 some particular fancy form. How this is to 

 be done, will depend at first upon the state 

 of the plant when you have planted it. If 

 it be very full and bushy, cut away all the 

 weaker branches, leaving four or five of the 

 strongest shoots, and shorten these to three 

 or four buds. If you wish the plant to con- 

 tinue dwarf and bushy, cut down to the last 

 two eyes of the new wood, and leave no 

 half grown shoots on. It may be that there 

 are more branches than you require any 

 way; cut away one-half of them, (the weak- 

 est,) and thin out the others so that they stand 

 not in each other's way ; for Rose trees and 

 bushes, like every thing else, are easily 

 spoiled by bearing too much wood. The 

 climbing Rose is frequently required to 

 make as much show as possible the first 

 season after planting, but unless they are 

 removed with great care of ike roots, they 

 should be cut almost to the ground, and the 

 branches thinned out also. None but the 

 best and strongest wood ought to be allowed 

 to remain, and if this be not first-rate, it will 

 be better to cut back to two eyes of the best, 

 and remove the weaker altogether. 



For standard Roses the course pursued is 

 somewhat modified. A standard Rose tree, 

 .0 be really handsome, should be as wide in 



the head as its entire height ; and although 

 upon the present system of pruning them, 

 they enlarge a little every year, still they are 

 not kept in a proper shape, and consequently 

 the pruning is wrong. For all Roses, spring 

 pruning is the best in this climate; therefore 

 when your standards are planted, touch 

 them not until April; then cut all small 

 shoots close off, and shorten the strong ones 

 to three or four eyes, taking care to leave 

 the uppermost eyes pointing outwards ; these 

 will afford you a wide head, just what is 

 wanted. As the new shoots grow, observe 

 the best and strongest that are growing in 

 the right direction to widen the head, and 

 let them make all the growth they will ; 

 allow any shoot that is growing up strong 

 in the centre to do the same ; and further, 

 a most important point, rub off, or cut off 

 with a very sharp knife, all weak shoots, 

 all that point i?nvards, and when two shoots 

 cross each other, cut away the weakest. 

 The branches that grow outwards will be 

 good enough, and strong enough in one sea- 

 son's growth, to leave any length you please 

 towards making a proper sized head; but 

 as five or six of these branches will not 

 make a full head, the next season shorten 

 them half their length, taking care that the 

 e7id bud be an u?ider one, for all the ten- 

 dency of the Rose is to grow upwards, and it 

 is only when the natural growth is outwards 

 or downwards, that the weight prevails to 

 keep it in a horizontal or drooping position. 

 In the second year, and each subsequent sea- 

 son, every branch that docs not assist to 

 form a handsome head without crowding, 

 must be cut clean out, and the younget it is 

 the better, because the remaining branches 

 grow faster. If there be one, two or three 

 upright shoots, (one strong one is worth 

 three weak ones,) you may shorten these to 

 two or three good eyes fairly above the 



