122 STATE POMOLOGICAL SOCIETY. 



CULTURE. 



The first and most important requisite in successful culture is 

 good soil, which should be of a strong nature, thoroughly 

 enriched with a liberal supply from the cow stable and bone meal 

 well incorporated into the soil before planting. Have all this 

 plant food deeply spaded into the soil. The best time for setting 

 out the plants is in early spring or late autumn, — April or Octo- 

 ber, for all the hardy varieties. 



All roses must have placed around them some winter protec- 

 tion about their roots — nothing better than to heap up a foot 

 high of soil. Half hardy and tender tea varieties must be laid 

 down and entirely covered with earth, while upright and tall 

 pillar roses may be sufficiently protected by being securely cov- 

 ered with straw or thick evergreen boughs. 



All varieties need to be well pruned annually, and the summer 

 and perpetual varieties should be well cut back near the ground 

 as they always flower on the young wood, which will make a 

 much more vigorous growth by such a system of pruning ; while 

 all the tender tea varieties, as well as the moss and climbers, 

 need only a shortening of the previous year's growth and thin- 

 ning out of the weak and feeble branches. The rule hi trim- 

 ming roses is to cut strong growers moderately and weak 

 growers severely. 



The rose is propagated by the means known as grafting, bud- 

 ding, layering, and by cuttings and planting of the seed. All of 

 these methods are quite simple and easily done by a knowledge 

 of the art and some practice. For the amateur the simple 

 method of layering of the growing branches in July and August 

 is the best. This is easily done by first forking in some rich 

 compost about the bush, then simply cutting a tongue on the 

 under side of the branch we desire to layer, just opposite a leaf 

 or bud, pegging this down and partially covering the layer a few 

 inches each side of the incision. If the conditions are right for 

 growth new roots will soon form around the joints on the branch 

 we have layered. Give .thorough winter protection and the next 

 spring sever the layer from the mother plant and set it where it 

 is to bloom and s:row. 



