ROSES 171 



bare, thrifty branches may be trained over it. Old flower 

 stalks and objectionable shoots should be removed during 

 the summer. 



Cultivation. Keep the soil loose under the bushes. A 

 single plant in a lawn should have a circle at least two 

 feet in diameter that is not encroached upon by grass. 

 Give the soil a mulch of lawn clippings occasionally 

 during dry weather in the summer and a heavy coating 

 of coarse manure in the winter. 



Diseases. For leaf blight, rust, and mildew, spray 

 with Bordeaux mixture or use dry Bordeaux. 



Pests. For plant lice, red spiders, and rose hoppers, 

 spray with sulpho-tobacco soap or kerosene emulsion. 



Propagating by cuttings. December or January is the 

 most favorable time for selecting and preparing rose 

 cuttings ; then the wood is in a dormant condition, 

 with an abundance of food stored up for starting the 

 buds. The rambler rose is well adapted to schoolroom 

 work. 



From a thrifty rosebush take branches grown during 

 the previous summer. Discard all weak and immature 

 tips and make cuttings that are five or six inches in 

 length. Such cuttings usually have four or five buds. 

 Examine the upper bud carefully ; it should be strong 

 and in good condition. Both lower and upper ends 

 should be near a bud. Make the cut for the upper end 

 by holding the branch in the left hand and starting the 

 blade of a sharp knife on the opposite side of the stem 

 from the bud, even with the top of the bud, so that the 



