PRUNING 181 



out about ten days later. Climbing roses on walls start 

 into growth early, and any necessary pruning should be 

 done about the third week in February ; if the work is 

 left until later there is every likelihood of the new 

 growths being damaged and broken off. 



Climbing roses should receive their chief pruning in 

 late July or August, as soon as the blossoms have faded. 

 Such old stems as can be dispensed with are then cut 

 out, the fresh growths being tied in to take their places. 

 The only pruning given to climbing roses in March is 

 directed towards shortening, to within two or three buds 

 of their base, the side growths on stems of more than 

 one year old. The stems that grew during the previous 

 summer, of course, possess no side shoots, and they are 

 pruned only to the extent of cutting off the extreme 

 ends, if these are very thin or soft. Late in the season 

 strong growths sometimes make their appearance at the 

 base of rambler roses, and to less degree on bush roses 

 also. Amateurs are often puzzled as to how to deal with 

 them. But there need be no difficulty, for, owing to the 

 late start they do not become " ripened," that is to say, 

 firm ; they are, therefore, useless, and should be cut off. 



The two chief instruments for pruning are the knife 

 and secateurs. The former, if really sharp, makes a 

 cleaner cut than the latter, but if one has a moderately 

 large collection of roses the use of a knife renders the 

 work of pruning a very lengthy one. Very few rosarians, 

 I imagine, now make chief use of the knife ; the secateurs 

 have taken their place. Blunt or ill-made secateurs 

 bruise instead of cutting the shoots, but providing a 



