THE HORTICULTURAL SOCIETY OF NEW YORK 



SO doing we lessen the trouble from suckers and keep the graft in better 

 condition. The distance apart to plant will depend upon the variety, 

 whether it is a strong or a weak grower, and upon this the planter should 

 inform himself before planting. About three feet should be the extreme 

 distance for the strongest growers, and eighteen inches to two feet for the 

 weaker ones. Prune back the tops to three or four good buds, and like- 

 wise trim out any bruised or broken roots. If there are any large coarse 

 roots, these should be shortened, as it will help in the formation of more 

 small fibrous rootlets. Make the hole for each plant large enough 

 to lay out the roots all round, and in replacing the soil do not be afraid to 

 tamp it till it is really firm, that is, providing it is in the proper condition 

 for planting, not too wet. Amateurs are very apt to fail in this particular 

 matter of thoroughly firming the soil. 



Friiniiig 



To the unprofessional rosarian, pruning seems the most perplexing 

 problem, but if its objects and principles are once thoroughly grasped, 

 then ordinary common sense will make its application to suit the varying 

 conditions a more or less simple matter. The object of pruning roses is: 

 first, a rejuvenation of the plant, getting new wood; next, the removal of 

 weak or superfluous branches so as to throw all the plant's energy into the 

 remaining growths, and to let in a maximum of air and light. Personally 

 I believe that there is something in mutilation that tends to produce flor- 

 iferousness, but this is merely a hypothesis and is given for what it is 

 worth. There are certain rules, however, which may be laid down in 

 regard to pruning of outdoor roses, not hard and fast rules, but rules 

 susceptible of modification. One of these rules is that the weaker growers 

 should be pruned back harder than the stronger growing ones. A few 

 good buds of last season's growth left annually may be taken as a guide 

 in pruning the weak growers, but if the very strong ones, such as Mar- 

 garet Dickson, for instance, were treated this way, we should get but few 

 flowers and exceedingly thick strong wood. The way to treat the latter is 

 to shorten back the longest growths by a foot or two and then tie or 

 peg them down, hence the reason for allowing lots of room for these 

 when planting. Should too many buds on these long stems^ start into 

 growth, so that they threaten to crowd one another, practice a little 

 fudicious thinning. Of course there are intermediate growers between 

 the very strongest and the very weakest, and these must be treated 



accordingly. 



The climbing and rambling type of roses require very little prunmg, 

 except for the removal of dead or decaying wood. After flowering the 

 old flower growths may be removed advantageously; in fact, much may 

 be done with roses as well as fruit trees by a little careful summer prun- 

 ing especially in removing old flowering wood. In pruning try to cut 

 back to a bud on the outside of the shoot, so that the coming growth 

 will be outward and not inward. Always try to make a nice clean cut, 



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