CULTURE OF THE EOSE. 



125 



Fig. 41. DIGGING THE TRENCH. 



proportioned to the size of the bush, as represented by 



figure 41. The plant is next bent down into the excava- 

 tion, and held in place by a 

 few pegs, as shown in figure 

 42. It is then covered en- 

 tirely, root and branches, by 

 sods, placed grassy side up- 

 wards, and presents, when 

 finished, a little hillock, in 

 appearance like figure 43. 

 There is one very important condition to success, which 



is, the time at which it is done. Few of our rose ama- 



teurs have any idea of the amount of freezing that the 



most tender Tea Rose even, will sustain without injury, 



and would, in consequence, 



be apt to hurry to put their 



plants under their winter 



covering on the appearance 



of the first slight frost in 



October. This would most 



' . i - x , , Fig. 42. PEGGED DOWN. 



certainly prove fatal, by 



causing them to rot during the still warm autumn 

 weather. We usually have frost in this part of the coun- 

 try in October to injure most green-house plants that are 

 exposed. Yet I have never seen it severe enough to in- 

 jure Roses of any kind be- 

 fore the middle of December, 

 to which time the covering 

 up should be delayed. Cov- 

 ering the ground, however, 

 around the bushes with three 

 or four inches of straw or 



Fig. 43.-COVERED FOR WINTER. 



from being frozen, should be done a month eai'lier ; this little 

 precaution will allow of excavation at the time of covering 

 with the sod. The time here given for the operation (the 



