212 THE ROSE GROWER'S CALENDAR. 



APRIL. 



April with its sunny smiles and tears of rain is 

 not an easy month for the Rose grower. Tea Roses 

 have to be pruned and all trees inspected for early 

 signs of grub or aphis. As eyes on standard and other 

 trees break where they are not wanted they should be 

 rubbed out. Suckers from the parent stock should be 

 removed, and Roses budded last year as soon as they 

 are long enough should have their shoots tied to canes 

 or sticks. 



Climbing Hybrid Teas are better left unpruned for 

 the first year after planting, as often after pruning 

 they will refuse to climb, especially if cut back rather 

 hard. This is a good month to scatter soot over the 

 surface of the beds and to very lightly fork it in. If 

 the weather prove dry, water all newly transplanted 

 Roses, giving them a good soak ; remember a light 

 shower of rain is not likely to reach their roots. The 

 covering to beds, such as bracken and leaves, can now 

 be removed if not already done, and the surface of 

 every bed should be lightly hoed. Most of the work 

 for this month will lie in the greenhouse, and the 

 grower will have a busy time in attending to his pot 

 roses, which will require from now onwards more 

 water and careful mulching with weak manure water. 

 Insect pests must be carefully watched for, and if these 

 are found in any quantity fumigate the Bouse at once 

 with "Auto-Shreds." Attend carefully to the ventila- 

 tion of your house, for April hardly ever brings two 

 days alike. 



Inspect the seed bed and hand-pick any weeds, 

 also give a scattering of soot to ward off insect pests. 

 Cuttings can be taken during this month from trees 

 that have been forced ; these should be rooted in bottom 

 heat, as already described. The rain-water tub, with 

 its bag of soot and sheep manure, should be visited, 

 and after a storm of rain, trees may be watered with 

 the liquid in dilute form. 



