PRUNING 43 



The Wichuraiana and its hybrids are pruned in March, 

 and need slightly differing treatment according to 

 whether they most resemble their Wichuraiana parent 

 or the Tea strain. Those which, like " Dorothy 

 Perkins," resemble the original " Wichuraiana," need 

 well thinning and very little pruning. They bloom on 

 the young growths, while those with more of the char- 

 acteristics of the Tea Rose, such as " Paul Transon," 

 bloom more on the old wood, which must therefore be 

 left more freely, and the laterals thinned out and cut 

 back. 



The Perpetual Scotch Roses merely need trimmimg in 

 March to keep the bushes in shape, as they flower as 

 well with or without pruning. They make good bushes 

 or half standards, and as such will be found to require 

 enough cutting out and shaping to keep them renewed. 



Standard Roses are usually the stronger growing 

 sorts, or should be. Standard hybrid Teas and hybrid 

 Perpetuals should be pruned exactly according to the 

 same rules as govern them when grown as dwarfs, but 

 it is essential that the centre of the plant should be kept 

 well open. The shape of a standard Rose also gives it 

 much of its beauty, and must therefore be kept in mind 

 while pruning, as if the shoots are left too long the head 

 will become ragged-looking and ugly. The standard 

 differs from the dwarf form in that it does not produce 

 shoots from the point of union of the stock and scion, so 

 that in pruning, the last year's shoots should be cut back 

 nearly to the point pruned to the previous year, though 

 in the weaker growing Teas no harm is done by cutting 

 back almost to the union of the stock and scion. All 

 diseased or weakly shoots should in all cases be cut away. 

 Weeping standards should have their shoots thinned with 

 an eye to the shape of the plant, the long drooping shoots 

 being retained as far as possible, as it is on the side shoots 

 from these that the flowers are borne. 



