3016 



ROSE 



ROSE 



The propagating-bed should have ample drainage, 

 which can be secured by using coarse ashes for the 

 bottom half of the bed. Five-inch side boards with 

 ashes for drainage and above it 2j/ inches of good clean 

 sand constitute a workable propagating medium. 

 Rose-cuttings can be rooted with good success in 

 screened soft coal-ashes, if sand is not available, but 

 extra care must be taken to prevent breaking off the 

 roots in taking the cutting from the ashes, when ready 

 for potting. Distance in the propagating-bed depends 

 on the variety. The leaves should not be allowed to 

 overlap and thus invite fungus. With the heating- 

 pipes beneath the bench, and a uniform temperature of 

 58 to 60 in the sand and 54 to 60 overhead, the cut- 

 tings should be rooted and ready to pot in about four 

 weeks. Do not allow the cutting to begin growth in 

 sand, which it will if not potted when the roots have 

 started. Be sure that clean pots are provided, and the 

 2J4-inch size is ample for the newly rooted cuttings. 

 Pot carefully so that the tender roots are not broken or 



bruised and be sure 

 that some soil is be- 

 tween the cutting and 

 the pot. Water care- 

 fully and provide shade 

 for the first few days 

 until the cutting has 

 recovered from the 

 check of moving. 

 Make sure that all the 

 soil is thoroughly 

 moistened, but do not 

 over-water it. Light 

 sprinklings are all that 

 will be required until 

 the roots show activity, 

 which can be ascer- 

 tained by knocking the 

 plant and ball of soil 

 carefully from the pot, 

 taking care not to 

 break the ball of soil. 

 As the plant begins to 

 grow, remove all shade 

 and keep the plant 

 growing. It will require 

 more water with the 

 increase in foliage. 

 When the plant fills the 



3484. Grafted rose, seven weeks 

 from the graft. 



pot nicely with roots, repot into a larger pot, the 

 3-inch size will be ample for its requirements for the 

 next six weeks. Keep the young plants clean and grow- 

 ing, using the same treatment as for plants on the 

 bench for the various insects and fungi. Shift into larger 

 pots, if necessary, but keep them growing. 



Grafted roses are very distinct in handling from the 

 own-root plants. It is best to start with strong-rooted 

 Manetti stock, which rose species has been chosen for 

 its strength of growth and the freedom with which the 

 cions unite with it. Manetti is grown from hardwood 

 cuttings taken during the winter months, and which are 

 planted in early spring in the open field. These are kept 

 growing rapidly throughout the summer, are dug in the 

 fall and are ready when potted for grafting. Manetti 

 should be disbudded or suckered, which means the 

 removal, so far as is possible, of all eyes which are below 

 the point at which the graft is to be made. In growing 

 Manetti, deep planting is advisable as the stem which 

 has been under ground all summer, cuts better and 

 makes a better union than the harder stem which has 

 been exposed. Manetti varies very little with the sec- 

 tion, but varies with the method of growing and gra- 

 ding. The deep-planted, well-graded Manetti, whether 

 English-, French-, Dutch- or American-grown, is equally 

 valuable and serviceable, but the great variation in 

 the growing and handling has caused the erroneous 



opinion that Manetti from certain sections is superior. 

 Labor values alone prevent the American grower from 

 producing his own Manetti, but irrigation is necessary 

 in our climate. Having pencil-size Manetti, being 

 for best work about the thickness of a lead-pencil, 

 the process of grafting is simple. A cut is made as close 

 to the pot-level as possible diagonally across the 

 Manetti. The cion is cut on the same slant and is tied 

 to the stock with raffia fiber (Fig. 3484). Raffia is used 

 because it decays and does not need to be cut away as 

 will be necessary with string, and it covers the union 

 more completely. The union of the cambium layer is the 

 essential point, and if the cion is not equal in size to the 

 stock, one should be sure of a perfect union on one side. 

 The rapid flow of sap which occurs when the new grafted 

 plant is put into the case covers the union and growth 

 begins. In a temperature from 76 to 78 the first week 

 and from 70 to 72 the two succeeding weeks, with care- 

 ful ventilation and shade from hot sun, the union should 

 be perfect and the young plant ready to be taken into 

 the air and light when hardened sufficiently by increas- 

 ing these gradually. The grafting-case is usually con- 

 structed by having sufficient steam-pipes beneath it to 

 maintain the temperature a miniature greenhouse. 



The advantages of grafted roses over those grown on 

 their own roots are : a stronger root-action, a more rapid- 

 growing plant, and a root-system that will be immune 

 to eel-worm or nematode. Experiments conducted by 

 the Illinois Experiment Station have proved that the 

 production from grafted roses is sufficiently larger to 

 warrant the use of grafted plants. There may be a con- 

 nection between the use of' flowering wood for grafting 

 and increased production, as all cions for grafting pur- 

 poses should be from selected flowering wood. There is 

 also a difference in varieties and a few are superior on 

 their own roots. It has been generally stated that all 

 yellow or yellow-tinted roses are better on their own 

 roots, but results contradict this statement. 



The after-care of the grafted plant varies little from 

 the care of own-root plants. One should be sure to 

 remove any Manetti suckers that appear, cutting close 

 to the stock, and mulch once in small pots before shift- 

 ing into larger, using for this mulch a compost of good 

 rose-soil with a heavy sprinkling of bone-meal added. 

 Repotting will furnish all the feed necessary, but the 

 top mulch will often keep the plant growing and econ- 

 omize room. Grafted plants come into bud and flower 

 early. The blooms should be kept cut off. 



General cultivation, diseases and insect pests. 



Having good, clean, thrifty, young plants in 3- or 4- 

 inch pots and a compost soil in the benches or beds, 

 one is ready for planting. The correct spacing is about 

 12 by 18 inches or 14 by 16 inches; there is some differ- 

 ence in varieties, but the average is about as stated. 

 Planting should be deep enough to cover the union by 

 an inch or more with grafted plants and yet away from 

 the bottom of the bench. Plant firmly and water thor- 

 oughly. Growth will soon begin. Keep the plants clean 

 from red-spider by thorough and consistent syringing of 

 the under sides of the leaves with water under pressure. 

 Red-spider is an insect which multiplies rapidly when 

 favored by a dry warm atmosphere, and as its suste- 

 nance is the foliage of the plant, it must be eradicated. 



Stakes should be set and the plants tied to the stake 

 as soon as they have become established and growth 

 has begun. Wires should be run above the bench, tying 

 the stake made of heavy wire to this 3 feet from the 

 soil-level. In tying the stake to the wire use string, 

 and raffia for tying plants to the stake. 



The general care of a rose-house consists in keeping 

 the house properly ventilated, heated and watered, in 

 addition to keeping the plants clean from insects and 

 fungi, and the cutting of the flowers. Ventilation should 

 be given more attention than any other of these 

 problems. How properly to ventilate a rose-house is 



