244 



MINNESOTA STATE HORTICULTURAL SOCIETY. 



For rose cuttings it is best to have the sand three or four inches 

 deep. Pack the sand down firmly with a brick or smoothing board. 

 Then water the whole bed thoroughly, and it is ready to receive 

 the cuttings. 



In making rose cuttings, the first thing to consider is the tex- 

 ture of the age of the wood. A soft, or succulent, cutting does not 

 take root readily, and if it does succeed in doing this it is liable to 



BUDDING ROSES 



Plate 3— The bud slipped down into place ready for tying. 



"damp off" and produce a weak plant. Wood that is too old is 

 slow to roof, and the operator must be able to select a happy me- 

 dium between these two extremes. The cutting should always be 

 taken from flowering shoots and at the time when the rose bud 

 on this shoot is about half open. Cuttings of all varieties which 

 root freely, like General Jacq. or Victor Verdier, can be made with 

 one eye only ; that is by making the cut between each bud. With 

 varieties of a slower tendency, two or three eyes must be left to 

 insure a start. As a rule, part of the leaf should be removed be- 

 fore the cutting is planted. This is not essential, but it lessens the 

 tendency to wilt. 



The cuttings are set in rows — using a short board sharpened to 

 an edge to make the row — and about two or three inches apart. 



