LATE SHOWERS & EARLY FLOWERS 



perplexity. If there are plenty of flowering rods without April 

 the one in doubt, it may go with the old rod which bears ^~^5 

 it, but if not, the older wood may be pruned back to the 

 point where the young one springs from it. 



Gloire de Dijon and Reine Marie Henrietta are rather 

 *' spray " than " rod " Roses. When they are established 

 they do not throw up long canes annually, but they 

 produce a good deal of side wood from the main 

 branches. This wood may be pruned on somewhat the 

 same principle as dwarfs — that is, the short, twiggy 

 shoots cut close in, and the longer ones merely tipped. 

 But I may modify this to the extent of saying that if there 

 is more strong wood than can be accommodated on the 

 wall or arch without crowding, I would cut the excess 

 clean out. William Allen Richardson is likely to need a 

 good deal of restriction when it is growing in congenial 

 soil, as it generally makes more annual growth than can 

 be accommodated. The grower should thin it vigorously. 

 Dundee Rambler is a "rod" Rose of tremendous vigour. 

 It has almost as much vitality as Dorothy Perkins. It is 

 true that it does not throw up so many strong canes 

 from the root every year as Dorothy does, but the shoots 

 extend far and wide. It needs thinning and shortening ; 

 the older wood thinning, and the younger wood, which 

 is often very long and slender, shortening. Dorothy 

 Perkins may have some of the old rods cut out at the 

 base like Crimson Rambler, but a good deal of young 

 wood is certain to go with it, as this variety oozes shoots 

 from every pore. The pruner sometimes gets alarmed 

 when he observes the growing heap of prunings beside 

 him, but he need not have any fear, as there will soon 

 be abundance of fresh growth on his plants. Felicite et 

 Perpdtue is only a degree less vigorous than Dorothy 

 Perkins, but it produces fewer canes and more spray. It 

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