36 



IRISH GARDENING. 



growers should be cut back to two or three 

 buds, removing altogether the weakest shoots. 

 Strong, vigorous growers may have the 

 strongest shoots left longer, say, from four to 

 six buds, cutting away the weak, thin shoots 

 entirely. 



Hybrid Teas are the most po^ndar of JJuarf 

 Eoses at the present time, and contain some of 

 finest varieties for cutting, exhibition and garden 

 decoration. Much the same remarks regard- 

 ing pruning apply to these, except that the 

 strong growers may be left ratlier longer than 

 the Hybrid Perpetuals, as each bud left will 

 " break " and grow into a flowering shoot in a 

 comparatively short time. Hybrid Perpetuals, 

 on the other hand, naturally make a longer 

 shoot before tiic flower appears, and if not 

 pruned fairly hard back the plants are apt to 

 become unwieldy, the young shoots weak, and 

 the flowers poor. 



As illustrating the difficulties of giving 

 written directions for pruning, it has to be ad- 

 mitted that there are exceptions to the rule of 

 cutting back. For instance, some varieties are 

 60 exceptionally vigorous that to cut the strong 

 shoots hard back results in the production of 

 other strong shoots, that keep growing so long 

 that only a few Mowers are obtained. Such 

 varieties should have the weak shoots only cut 

 hard back and the strong ones pegged down 

 horizontally; each bud will then shoot forth, 

 and grow to a length of twelve or:fifteen inches, 

 and produce flowers — thus from one plant quite 

 u large number of flowers will be produced 

 early in the season. Examples of such varieties 

 are seen in Hugli Dickson, Fran Kail Druschki, 

 and George Dick.son. 



Tea Roses are not usually so hardy as either 

 of the above classes, and are less extensively 

 grown. After a severe winter many are found 

 to be severely injured, in many cases the 

 shoots being killed right back to the ground 

 level, and sometimes the entire plant is killed. 

 Lovers of this class take steps to ])rotect tlieir 

 favourites by mulching heavily with strawy 

 nianure, bracken ferns or leaves, and in this 

 way contrive to bring the plants safely through 

 the winter. The pruning generally resolves 

 itself into cutting away all dead wood and 

 weak spray growth. Any strong shoots not 

 killed may be cut back to a point where the 

 wood is good and well ripened. The buds 

 below this will " break," and produce vigorous 

 growths, wliieh will soon bear flowers. Fre- 

 quently good young growths are i)rodueed from 

 below the soil-level by shoots which have hcon 

 killerl hack by frost. 



China or ^Monthly Roses are allicil to the 

 Teas, but are more vigorous, and make excel- 



lent subjects for massing in beds lor colour 

 effect. After the first season they should be 

 pruned lightly, removing only weak and dead 

 shoots, and very slightly shortening the 

 strongest ones. Examples of this class are — 

 Cramoisie Superieure, Fellemberg, Hermosa, 

 Laurette .Messiuiy, and Queen ]\lab. 



Climbing Roses, so-called, can be divided 

 into two sections for pruning pur])oses. Those 

 whicii belong to the Uorothy Perkuis, Hiawatha 

 section, are ruined by being cut hard back in 

 spring, except in the first year of planting. 

 They flower on the numerous growths made the 

 previous year, and should be pruned after 

 fioiuering by cutting out the growths which 

 liave flowered, leaving the young growths in- 

 tact, unless some requiring removal to give the 

 others light and air. 



The other section — including such varieties 

 as Gloire de Uijon, Climbing Caroline Testout, 

 the climbing forms of j\lrs. AV. J. Grant, 

 Captain Christy, La France, and others — 

 shoidd be attended to now, removing the weak 

 growths, as in the bush forms, and lightly 

 shortening the strong shoots before securing 

 them to their supports. 



Pillar Roses may be treated similarly. They 

 include varieties which do not grow so tall or 

 long as the climbers or ramblers, and are used 

 to furnish the lower part of i)illars and walls. 

 Examples are — Ai'ds Pillar, Bardou Job, Gruss 

 au Teplitz, and others of similar habit. 



The pretty Dwarf Polyantha Roses are valu- 

 able for beds and cutting. After the first year 

 they should be pruned lightly, removing only 

 the weakest growths, and keei)ing the centre of 

 the plant open. Good varieties are — Jessie, 

 Mrs. ^Y. Cutbush, and The Orleans Rose. 

 With regard to the so-called Pernettiana Roses, 

 it is the writer's experience that pruning be- 

 comes merely a matter of cutting away dead- 

 wood, and after that there is usually but little 

 left. Undoubtedly, the colouring of these new- 

 Roses is gorgeous, but they are apparently 

 tender. Examples arc — Madame Edouard 

 Herriot, Juliet, The Lyon Rose, Rayon d'Or, 

 &c. 



Rosa. 



Veronica macrocarpa. 



It is somewhat surprising to lind a shrubby 

 Veronica in full flower early in February, but 

 such is the case with V. macrocarpa. Possibly 

 the absence of prolonged or severe frost 

 accounts for it, as the species is not usually 

 one of the liardiest. Nevertheless, it is a shrub 

 \vorth having, and worth giving a sheltered 



