80 ON PRUNING THE GARDEN ROSE. 



near the top of the stock as may be, so as to have thern capable of 

 forming a desirable head. 



If, after this regulation of shoots, any others push, they must 

 be rubbed off at the earliest stage ; and should any suckers appear, 

 they must be carefully taken away. To guard against injury from 

 the above casualties, or by insects, the stocks must from time to 

 time be looked over : sometimes slugs or caterpillars will creep up, 

 and eat off the tender points of the shoots, or otherwise damage 

 them, so as to cause the head to be defonned. 



If the stocks had good roots, and were attended to in collecting, 

 conveying, planting, securing, and regulating, by removing use- 

 less shoots, those retained will soon push forth vigorous shoots. It 

 will be necessary then to look them over, in order to see if any 

 particular shoot is growing far more robust than the others, and 

 thus robbing them of support ; such a shoot must have the end 

 pinched off, in order to throw the sap into the others, that they 

 may become of a similar size. 



Nothing more will be required than observing the above-named 

 regulations till July, excepting a very droughty season occurs, in 

 which case a supply of water occasionally to the roots would assist 

 the plants to grow suitably. 



My next observations will comprise the operation of budding, 

 which shall be sent in due time for the May or June Cabinet. 



March \th, 1836. Rosa. 



ARTICLE VII. — On Pruning the Garden Varieties of 

 Roses. By Rosa. 



Having paid considerable attention to the culture of the Garden 

 Rose, as already stated in my observations at the commencement 

 of my Article on the Tree Rose, I send a few hints on pruning, 

 the result of my own observation, and the method I now pursue. 



The period of pruning should be deferred till towards spring, 

 say the early part of March ; but as it may be desirable to have 

 some later than others, and thus prolong the season, I leave a 

 selection for the attainment of that object, to be pruned at the 

 end of March, or even in April ; so that by allowing the end buds 

 to push shoots an inch long, the buds at the lower part of a shoot 



