rc _ ANNUAL REPORT. 
is asked for them. For all roses, it is the well ripened wood 
that bears the finest flowers. as 
One principle of pruning all roses will be: Weakly grow- 
ing roses should be severely pruned ; those of vigorous growth 
should be pruned but little. i tf Sh) 
COVERING. 
In order to raise the better varieties of roses, especially the 
Hybrid Perpetual, it is advantageous to leave them in the 
ground during the winter. This, of course, cannot be done 
in Minnesota, without adequate covering. About the middle 
of November, a little sooner or later, as the state of the 
weather may permit, bend the bushes down upon the 
ground, and cover them well with earth to the depth of from 
six to twelve inches. To keep this so-formed hill of earth 
from thawing and freezing over again, it will be neces- 
sary to cover it with straw or old manure. In the spring, 
say at the latter part of April, when no further danger from 
heavy frost need be apprehended, the covering should be gra- 
dually taken off and the plants pruned in the manner above 
described. If this be conscientiously done, depend upon it 
the florist will be abundantly rewarded for all his pains in the 
sweet and beautiful display of flowers. In this manner I have 
succeeded in keeping the following named varieties in my gar- 
den at St. Paul, during the extraordinary cold winter of 
1872-3, without even losing the smallest twig by the action of 
the frost: Augusta Mie, Baronne Provost, La Reine, L’En- 
fant du Mont Carmel, Jules Margottin, Triumphe de la Expo- 
sition, Souvenir de la Reine d’Angleterre, General Jaquemi- 
not, General Washington, Leon des Combats, Piux IX, Prince 
Albert, Lydonia, Jacques Laffitte, King of Prussia, Lord Rag- 
_ lan. Madame Plantiere, all of the Hybrid Perpetuals ; also the 
Monthly Cabbage, the Centifolia Kubra Major and Centifolia 
Unita. Of Moss Roses, Blanche Perpetual, Alfred de Dalmas, 
Crested Moss, Captain Ingraham, and Comptesse de Murinars. 
Of Climbing Roses, Queen of the Prairies and the Baltimore 
Belle. 
Even the more tender sorts, as for instance the Bourbon 
and Noisette roses, &c, can be thus kept through the win- 
ter with a little additional labor, thus: Cover the bed of 
roses, with good, dry oak leaves, to the depth of twelve 
inches. Do this before the advent of frost. After the frost put 
on a layer of straw over the leaves, and about six inches of 
earth, and in the spring when all danger of frost is past, the 
plants will be found perfectly green and sound. 
I have endeavored, in the foregoing, to do at least a little 
