276 ANNUAL REPORT 



uncovered too earl}- in April. The open winters of Indiana and Ohia 

 are not as good a protection to the rose bush a8 the heavy snows of 

 our State, which come and stay until spring. In all the northern 

 states mulching is necessary, and no more here than elsewhere. In 

 mulching, however, care should be taken not to mulch too heavy, so 

 as to exclude all air. Roses and hollyhocks and pansies and Chinese 

 pinks (the dianthus) can easily be kept through the winter by a 

 mulch; but the mulch should be loosely thrown on and a little air ad- 

 mitted; and the mulch should not be removed too quickly in the 

 spring. 



Rose bushes need pruning. I got my first lesson in this three yeara 

 ago. On my lawn was a very handsome Jacquiminot which had 

 weathered several winters and was immensely large, several of the 

 branches being taller than my head. One spring evening the worthy 

 President of this Society chanced to call. I pointed with pride to my 

 bush. He shook his head. He simply took out an immense pocket 

 knife and said nothing. But he slashed away at that rose bush, and 

 the old shoots flew in all directions. That bush was a sorry sight 

 when he got through with it. I felt bad, but smothered my grief. 

 My grief, however, was soon turned to joy, as the new branches shot 

 forward like arrows, and the multitude of blossoms in due time 

 made it a marked object on the lawn. In this connection I might also 

 add that many who raise flowers are too charry in cutting the blos- 

 soms. The more flowers you cut and give away the more you have. 

 One flower in going to seed will take the vitality out of a score of 

 blossoms. Never let a seed pod form. It will rob you of many blos- 

 soms. The best seeds are so cheap and accessible that no amateur 

 can afford to raise them. I know a rich "lady who, in order to raise a 

 few seeds for the coming season allowed her early blossoms to go to 

 seed and seriously curtailed her entire crop of blossoms, when five cents 

 would have purchased all she wanted for the next spring. She saved 

 her nickel, but practically lost her whole crop of sweet pea blossoms 

 for the season. 



It never pays for an amateur to raise seeds. The choicest seeds are 

 now very cheap. The flowers should be picked as fast as they blos- 

 som. (excepting of course the geranium blossoms on the lawn). Not 

 only is it true that the more we pick the more we have, but it is also 

 true that in the hands of an amateur the seeds will gradually degen- 

 erate. For this reason I always buy fresh seeds every year from a 

 reliable house. The only exception to be made is in the case of the 

 old-fashioned balsam, which has been improved so much in the last 



