The Winter Protection of Roses 



AT this time of the year the beginner 

 in rose culture is likely to be 

 greatly concerned about the proper 

 care of his plants, during the coming 

 winter. The elaborate instructions for 

 their protection, given by some flower 

 specialists, whose knowledge is not 

 always the result of experience, is apt to 

 be discouraging as well as confusing. 

 There can be no advantage in laying 

 down and covering a plant so that you 

 preserve it green to the tips, when the 

 first thing you are to do in spring is to 

 cut off those green tips within a foot or 

 less of the ground. 



An experience of a quarter of a century 

 has taught me that for all but the tend- 

 er teas (and these the ordinary amateur 

 is .better off without), the only protec- 

 tion necessary is to shorten back all 

 growth of more than three or four feet to 

 about that length, tie a stout cord around 

 them top and bottom, and hill them up, 

 say about six inches. Do this about the 

 end of October, the object being to so 

 stiffen the plant that it may not be brok- 

 en down by the snow later on. After the 

 ground has been frozen hard put a coat 

 of manure (six inches is not too heavy) 

 all over your rose bed .The rest you may 

 leave to Nature with every confidence 

 that in any ordinary Canadian winter 

 there will be suflicent snow to protect 

 your plants and that your losses, if any 

 will be much fewer than if you attempt 

 to cover them as directed by some flower 

 specialists who seem to overlook the fact 



By " Amateur " 



that the surest way to discourage the 

 growing of any plant is to exaggerate 

 the difficulties connected with its culti- 

 vation. 



Everyone admires the rose, the Queen 

 of Flowers ; yet a collection of a dozen 

 varieties is a rarity in most Canadian 

 towns and villages. This is due largely 

 to the general impression that the rose 

 requires a special soil ; that bugs of all 



kinds are ready to devour it and that the 

 winter will finish any that the bugs over- 

 look ; whilst the fact is that roses can 

 be grown in any soil short of pure sand, 

 and that a little trouble will protect them 

 from both bugs and weather. One thing 

 is absolutely necessary, however, and 

 that is a genuine love for the flowers. If 

 you have everything else and lack this, 

 you had better grow carrots. 



Planting for Winter Effect 



D. W. Buchanan, St. 



PLANTING for winter effect natural- 

 ly leads first to a consideration of 

 the evergreens as the subjects of 

 greatest value. Good use may be made 

 also of those bushes that carry their or- 

 namental fruits into the winter. Again, 

 some trees and shrubs with richly color- 

 ed bark are very ornamental in winter. 

 Thus with these combinations there is 

 no lack of material suitable for planting 

 for winter effect even in our climate. 



EVERGREENS 



The evergreens are of first importance 

 in any scheme for winter effect. In any 

 country with short summers and long 

 winters the evergreens should be freely 

 planted. They afford an appearance of 

 warmth and comfort that cannot be es- 

 sayed without them. A mixture of ev- 

 ergreens and deciduous trees gives a 

 beautiful effect at any season of the year 

 and in large grounds is especially desir- 



One Side of ■ Garden Where 



G.--rd3n at Enron Registry Olli o. I'h-trgraph t. 



Six Hnndred Roiet Bloom 



rnlshed hj .Mr. Wm. Coats, Goderi^^h. Ont. 

 -211 



Charles, Manitoba 



able for winter effect. Nature gives us 

 some good examples of this in the mixed 

 forests of northern Canada. 



Our experience with evergreens in this 

 country is rather limited as yet, as very 

 little planting with these trees has been 

 done beyond the use of the native spruc- 

 es. We have some trees, however, that 

 we know we can depend on, and we will 

 have more as time goes by. 



Our native spruces, of which the white 

 spruce has the preference, take first rank 

 among the evergreens. The balsam 

 spruce is also good, and being a native, 

 is sure to be hardy in most locations. 



Recently the Scotch or European pine 

 has received some attention from plant- 

 ers of evergreens and it is succeeding 

 in many places. This tree seems destin- 

 ed to become thoroughly acclimated 

 here. In trees grown from imported 

 seed, there is always a danger of get- 

 ting seed from mild climates or low al- 

 titudes. If evergreen seed from high al- 

 titudes can be secured, the prospect for 

 hardy stock is greatly increased. We 

 already have Scotch pine trees producing 

 seed in Manitoba, and consequently, so 

 far as this tree is concerned, are in a 

 good position to have it become thor- 

 oughly established. 



The Austrian pine is favorably spoken 

 of by some planters. My own experi- 

 ence with this tree is limited and that 

 experience has not been of a nature to 

 lead me to recommend it. 



The Colorado blue spruce has been 

 planted to a small extent in this coun- 

 try and has done well in some locations. 

 If seed from the higher altitudes is ob- 

 tained, results with this beautiful tree 

 will be promising. 



The Mountain pine of Europe also pro- 

 mises to succeed here, in at least favor- 

 able locations. The dwarf form of this 

 tree is an interesting subject, where a 

 small tree or evergreen shrub is requir- 

 ed. Some of these little trees have prov- 

 ed quite hardy in our grounds for several 

 winters past. 



Another dwarf evergreen is the savin 

 juniper, which will be found useful in 



