302 



The Hovlicultmisl and Jommal 



The object of pruning is threefold : first, to 

 give the phint shape and proportion ; secondly, 

 to improve the size and beauty of the flowers ; 

 thirdly, to invigorate the plant. The first ob- 

 ject is a very important one, as the future 

 shape and health of the plant depend on the 

 first training it receives. No two shoots 

 should be allowed to crowd each other: a 

 mass of thick foliage is both injurious and 

 unsightly. Sun and air should have free 

 access to every part of the plant. 



Pruning in summer, when the plant is in 

 active growth, has the contrary effect to that 

 of pruning in winter, when the plant is in a 

 dormant state, the process is weakening rather 

 than invigorating. It deprives the plant of a 

 portion of its leaves just at the time when 

 they are most needed, and cannot in all cases 

 be recommended. It is, however, often 

 desirable, and frequently saves much trouble, 

 and may be effected to a great extent by 

 cutting the blossoms with long stems when 

 wanted for decoration or otherwise, and by 

 removing all decaying and faded flower-stalks. 

 Many of the kinds by this treatment, and 

 by reducing their main branches to one-half 

 their length in June, are much more certain 

 to give autumnal blossoms, besides the general 

 appearance of the plants will be much improved. 



To produce the best effect with roses, con- 

 tinous blooms should only be used ; such as 

 Hybrid per23etuals,Teas, Bourbons and Chinas. 

 Summer roses that bloom once in a season 

 and no more, are useless except for exhibition 

 purposes. If you desire to have summer 

 roses — and none and more beautiful when in 

 bloom — let them have a place by themselves. 

 Never let them mar the effect of the others, 

 by planting among them sparse blooming 

 kinds, when by a judicious selection of 

 monthly blooms a complete succession can be 

 had of beautiful buds and blossoms, and the 

 rose garden kept in perpetual and ever in- 

 creasing beauty. 



Ti<insplanting — As roses flourish better 

 for an occasional transplanting, and their 

 bloom and foliage is always finer in cultivated 

 than in grassy ground, a biennial lifting of 

 the plant should form a pq,rt of their culture. 



The process will enable the cultivator to per- 

 form the operation of root pruning, often a very 

 important matter with the strong growing 

 kinds. And all who desire their roses to 

 bloom satisfactorily in the autumn, should em- 

 brace the opportunity thus offered, to enrich 

 the soil by deep trenching and by well-rotted 

 manure. 



Now the best time to transplant or lift and 

 replant* roses is when the roses are ready ; and 

 they are ready just before their leaves drop in 

 the fall : say about the last week in October, 

 or the early part of November. If proof of 

 this is required, one has only to take up a 

 few roses, two weeks after planting in Novem- 

 ber, when it will "be at once seen that a large 

 quantity of delicate white fibres present them- 

 selves. These roots are formed by bottom 

 heat, or to put it in plain words, by what 

 ground heat remains of the past hot summer 

 weather, which is sufiicient to establish the 

 roots before winter sets in. From November 

 the heat diminishes, and vegetation becomes 

 less active. Therefore, it is easily seen that 

 if the operation is deferred until late in No- 

 vember, the roots will remain stationary with 

 every probability of their being injured by the 

 winter, for it must be borne in mind that no 

 amount of sun during the winter will have 

 other than bad effect on roses planted after 

 the time here specified. They may, and 

 probably would survive the winter, and the 

 buds start in spring ; but as there will be a 

 deficiency of fibrous roots, the plants will 

 suffer accordingly. Therefore plant early in 

 November, unless the plants have been grown 

 in the greenhouse in pots all summer ; in that 

 case better defer the planting until spring. 

 Plants grown in pots, although smaller, are 

 generally more desirable than those grown 

 and taken from the open ground. 



Before leaving the subject, it will be 

 desirable to point again to the fact, that to 

 have roses in anything like perfection, they 

 requii'e liberal cultivation. They must have 

 a compost of a substantial character ; and in 

 practice nothing has been found better than 

 good, rich loam rather close in texture, and 

 well-rotted barnyard manure. 



