PRUNING THE ROSE BUSHES. 



22^ 



better in certain respects than anything 

 which we have. Such has been the case 

 quite recently. At the last meeting of the 

 Eastern New York IJorticultural Society 

 there was on exhibition a very striking 

 collection of apples, natural crosses between 

 Spy and Newton Pippin, and Greening 

 and Newton Pippin. These were the 

 result of patient effort on the part of 

 Stephen Underbill, of Croten Point, on the 

 Hudson. The Newton Pippin trees were 

 surrounded by several other varieties. 

 Seeds of the Newton Pippin were planted in 

 every case. The young seedlings were 

 carefully reared, and in due time bore fruit, 

 which was remarkable in the fact that it had 

 exhibited all gradatiorks between the female 

 parent on one side and the variety which 

 probably furnished the pollen on the other. 

 In this way there were some varieties which 

 very closely resembled Newton Pippin. 

 Others as closely resembled Northern Spy. 

 One of these latter appeared to have con- 

 siderable value. It was a Spy in color and 

 size, but lacked the characteristic ribs of 

 that variety. The flesh had the crispness 

 of the Newton Pippin with some of the 

 spiciness of the Spy. Its principal point of 

 value lay, however, in its keeping qualities. 

 As a rule the Spy is not a long keeper, as 

 ripened on the Hudson. This variety, 

 however, is said to keep easily until mid- 

 winter or later. Its bearing qualities have 

 yet to be proved. 



Another interesting collection of apples, 

 illustrating the fixity of certain types, con- 

 sisted of a number of seedlings of the old 

 Lady apple. It is well known that the Lady 

 is one of the oldest types of apples in culti- 

 vation. It is found in all the European 

 pomological works, and as a proof of its 

 ancient origin has probably more synonyms 

 than perhaps any other variety of apple 

 grown. On account of its antiquity one 

 would expect the type to be pretty well 

 fixed. This surmise is strongly supported 

 by the fact that in this collection of ten 

 seedlings there was in every instance a 

 strong resemblance to the parent. Some of 

 them were exact reproductions. Others 

 were a little larger, a few lighter colored, 

 and one or two exact Lady apples, only im- 

 proved in size and color. How much might 

 be done in this way if fruit growers would 

 take the trouble to follow the advice of the 

 late Marshall P. Wilder, who said in one 

 of the last addresses given to the American 

 Pomological Society, "Plant the seeds con- 

 tinually of our largest and finest fruits. 

 Watch the product, select the seed from 

 the finest and plant again." In this way 

 only can those closer adaptations to suit 

 any climate so necessary to the production 

 of fruit of the highest quality be satisfact- 

 orily brought about. 



John Craig. 



Ithaca, N. Y. 



Pruning the Rose Bushes should be 

 attended to in May, but if neglected then, 

 attention should even yet be paid to this 

 work. It is the new wood that alone pro- 

 duces bloom, and for that reason, it must be 

 encouraged. Vick says in his Magazine : 



it is an astonishing thing to see how that, year 

 after year, the chances of obtaining the most 

 beautiful rose blooms are frittered away through 

 unintelligent pruning of the plants, even in gardens 

 of great reputation. There are thousands of rose 

 bushes all over the country which, in spite of being 

 found in spring to have made fine growth during 

 he previous s ason, never produca good flowers. 



and the explanation is generally to be found in the 

 fact that no reasonable plan is followed in pruning. 

 The commonest mistake is the leaving of the 

 older branching spray wood that has already flow- 

 ered. Dwarf Rose bushes at the beginning of the 

 year generally consist of several much-branched 

 stems which carried bloom in the previous summer, 

 add several strong straight shoots springing from 

 the base of the plant. In the case of hybrid per- 

 petuals, these older branching stems should be cut 

 completely out leaving only the new shoots from 

 the base which themselves should be thea consid- 

 erably shortened. If the old spray wood be left in 

 it produces no flowers worth having, while the 

 weak and crowded growths with which it becomes 

 covered afford a perfect harborage to every known 

 Rcse pest. 



