248 THE PRINCIPLES OF FLORICULTURE 



for the petals to become blackened and wilted before the 

 flowers fully develop. Such varieties should be shaded 

 from intense sunlight. This may be done by the use of 

 cheesecloth on supports; but the screen should be high 

 enough to allow an excellent air circulation around the 

 plants. 



308. Feeding. As a fertilizer for roses, nothing is 

 equal to cow manure. It does not need to be decomposed, 

 for its character is not sufficiently active to injure even 

 the most delicate roots. The rose beds should be given 

 a top-dressing every fall. This not only fertilizes the soil, 

 but it acts as a preventive against winter-killing. During 

 the summer, an occasional watering with liquid manure 

 will be beneficial. An application may be given as soon 

 as the flower-buds begin to form in the spring, and it 

 may be continued as often as once a week throughout 

 the summer. During July, the rose beds should be given 

 a mulch of strawy manure, to prevent the hot sun from 

 injuring the delicate, feeding roots which are always near 

 the surface of the soil. 



309. Winter protection. As soon as the ground freezes, 

 a heavy mulch of strawy manure should be given the rose 

 bed. There should be a cone of mulch ten inches high 

 about each plant. The tops should then be covered with 

 an orange or grapefruit box. This prevents the alternate 

 freezing and thawing of the soil, and the buds at the base of 

 the plant are not injured. The heavy spring rains will 

 wash considerable nourishment from this mulch into the 

 soil, and this aids to start the plant into vigorous growth 

 early in the spring. About the first of April, the mulch 

 should be removed, a part at a time. 



The teas, hybrid teas and some of the more delicate 

 climbers should be covered completely with leaves or 



