HYDRANGEAS FOR PORCh DECORATION. 



2, If cutting back is to be done, state 

 where to ait, and whether the shoots that 

 come from the base of plant and flowers 

 are to be cut back the same as the older 

 wood. Ans. After the plants are well 

 ripened in October they can be cut back 

 a little, but the final pruning is better 

 left till the spring when the plants should 

 be well pruned, cut back to about two 

 plump buds to each shoot ; that is leave 

 two joints ; each joint has two buds, 

 rub off one bud at each joint, one at 

 each side of the shoot ; the shoots that 

 start from the base of the plant, if they 

 flower and there is room for them with- 

 out crowding the plant, retain them, but 

 the plant is well furnished I would cut 

 them out. All weak shoots should be 

 cut out as they appear ; this will throw 

 all the strength into the other shoots and 

 give better buds for another year. 



3. When flower buds are expanding 

 are the weaker ones cut out ? If so, hmv 

 far back ? Ans. If your plants are well 



furnished with large flowers and a little 

 crowded, cut them out altogether, but 

 this is not necessary. Your own judg- 

 ment will have to govern. One of the 

 main points to watch is not to let your 

 plants get too crowded in the center. 

 Let the light get in ; in this way you can 

 always expect good buds, but if your 

 plants are left to themselves and all 

 shoots retained, all the buds in the center 

 of the plant will be weak and not apt to 

 flower, 



Roses. — The rose if it has been well 

 cared for, is now holding a riotous festival 

 of voluptuous beauty, roses, roses every- 

 where. The bushes are aflame, and the 

 wind has rose-petaled the walks. Roses 

 are long-lived shrubs, and we read of one 

 rose tree that leans against the old cha- 

 pel of St. Anne, in Hildsheim, Germany, 

 whose root is eight hundred years old, 

 and whose present height of thirty feet 



4. Is it advisable to change the soil 

 each year ? If so how is it done, and 

 when? Ans If your plants are in large 

 tubs it is not necessary to change the 

 soil each year ; every second year will do. 

 The best time to repot is in spring before 

 the plants begin to start into growth. 

 This is a job that has to be carefully 

 done, as the buds are easily broken off. 

 Our mode of doing this where very large 

 tubs are used is this : A pulley is attach- 

 ed to the ceiling of the work room, a 

 stout soft rope with a hook on the end 

 is tied around the base of the plant, the 

 rope run through the pulley and the plant 

 is raised up. The tub is then removed 

 by striking the top with a hammer. The 

 ball of roots is then loosened and part 

 of the old soil taken away. The new 

 tub, well drained, is then put under the 

 plant and it is lowered into it and the 

 soil rammed in with a stick just as hard 

 as it can be. Where many plants are 

 to be handled this is a good way to do, 

 and a great many can be done in a short 

 time. 



5. Will a frost-proof cellar do to keep 

 them over winter in ? Ans. Yes. Al- 

 though a few degrees of frost won't hurt 

 them it does them no good. A cellar 

 with a temperature running from 35° to 

 40° is about right They should never 

 get dust dry in their winter quarters, but 

 no more water than is needed should be 

 given. 



is one hundred and ten years old. Do 

 not forget to cut the roses with liberal 

 hand, and prune to a compact shapeli- 

 ness this month after the buds cease to 

 come. Then spade well and keep all 

 weeds down, that new growth may be 

 speeded ; for the buds come best from 

 the new wood. Keep the garden richly 

 fertilized. — Keziah Shelton in New York 

 Observer. 



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