326 POPULAR GARDEN FLOWERS 



roots and no more, while the other sets the plants in 

 and treads the loose soil which the spadesman throws 

 in until it is quite firm. The Rose-lover need not be 

 half-hearted about the treading owing to fear of injuring 

 the roots. Weak growers may be set two feet apart, and 

 strong ones a yard. 



Pruning. Pruning follows as naturally on planting 

 as planting on soil preparation, because it is generally 

 advantageous to let the first course of pruning accom- 

 pany the planting. When Roses are received from the 

 nurseries they contain far more wood than any prudent 

 grower would care to leave, and at the end of March 

 it is pruned back hard. Why not remove part of it 

 in autumn, in order to reduce the area exposed to the 

 wind, and so prevent excessive wind-sway, with its 

 loosening influences ? There is no good reason. There 

 is, I admit, an excellent reason why autumn pruning 

 should only be a part, and not the whole why it 

 should be restricted to removing about a third of every 

 long shoot, and not extend to cutting back to the 

 ground buds, as will be done in spring. This reason 

 is that mild weather at mid-winter often starts Roses 

 into growth, and if there were only a few basal buds, 

 and these started growing, the plants might be thrown 

 back seriously owing to a severe late frost cutting the 

 tender young growth. If a foot or more of growth is 

 kept through the winter, it is the upper superfluous and 

 not the lower necessary buds which start ; the latter 

 remain dormant while their brethren run the risk. The 

 spring pruning of newly planted Roses should be severe. 

 Done at the end of March, it may be safely carried to 

 the point of cutting to within four inches of the ground 

 weak shoots lower still. A Rose-bed looks rather 

 subdued after this drastic treatment, but it gladdens the 



