IN MY LADY'S GARDEN 



ing to the season and the amount of shelter they obtain. 

 It is scarcely possible to prune them too severely where one 

 or two show blooms are desired, but, as a general rule, a 

 large number of moderately-sized blossoms are more satis- 

 factory, and in this case the roses should not be so severely 

 cut back. The old or half-decayed wood should first be 

 removed from the base, leaving the strong young growths of 

 last autumn. These can be shortened to one-third or more 

 of their length, always cutting close to a dormant eye (i.e. 

 one which has not yet begun to grow) which is on the outer 

 side of the shoot, as otherwise the shape of the plant would 

 suffer. Roses which are robust and healthy need less pruning 

 than those which are weakly, but all will be better for a 

 mulch of rich soil now laid over their roots. Rank manure 

 must never touch the roots of a rose, which are singularly 

 sensitive to impurities, nor should it be heaped over the 

 collar of the plant ; but a little well-decayed manure, mixed 

 with lime (or with burnt vegetable material, charcoal, and a 

 little soot) should be placed at a slight distance around the 

 stem (after loosening the surface soil), covering it with a little 

 finely sifted soil for the sake of appearance. This will keep 

 the roots moist and well nourished throughout the summer, 

 and the newer plan of mulching both roses and strawberries 

 in the spring will be found much more satisfactory than the 

 autumnal mulch, which only adds to the dank coldness of the 

 soil in winter, and soaks the roots in food which they are 

 then unable to assimilate, being dormant. 



The flowers so often seen in our streets are now very 

 tempting ; but it is dangerous to purchase the plants dur- 

 ing a time of sharp east winds or frost, for they will very 

 probably droop and die in a most disappointing way if they 

 have received a chill, although the effects of it may not be 

 apparent for a day or two. 



At this time of year the blossoms of most of the 

 plants offered for sale have necessarily been considerably 

 forced, and the sudden change from the moist warmth of a 

 hothouse to the bitter cold of the streets is too often fatal. 

 Even if the weather should be mild, and they have so far 



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