CULTURE. Ill 



season should be towards the end of February if 

 the weather be mild. This winter pruning may 

 be described in very few words, for nothing is 

 more irksome than lengthy pedantic descriptions 

 of simple operations : to prune these roses, then, 

 in winter, is merely to cut off from each vigorous 

 shoot of the preceding summer, two-thirds of its 

 length, and from those of less vigour three-fourths 

 of their length, taking care not to leave too many 

 of these shortened shoots, for the tree will then 

 become crowded in the summer ; but after shorten- 

 ing them, cut some of them out cleanly, so as to 

 leave a nice well-disposed frame to be filled up 

 the succeeding summer by beautiful leaves and 

 still more beautiful flowers. 



For beds or dwarf trees or bushes, perhaps no 

 roses are so admirably adapted. The summer 

 thinning and pruning above recommended is 

 quite necessary, and they will amply repay any 

 extra care. For this kind of culture, however I 

 speak from the firmest convictions, brought on 

 by long experience there is no mode equal to 

 the removal system. G-enerally this may be done 

 biennially; but in light, poor, easily exhausted 

 soils, it may be done annually : early in November 

 is the best period, and the mode very simple : 

 Take up every plant carefully, and shorten any 

 long straggling roots to within the compass of the 

 usual mass of fibrous roots ; stir the border well 

 with Winton Parkes' steel forks to the depth of 



