38 » THE GARDEN 



your new trailers in good shape for bloom, then you may cut away the 

 branches that bloomed this year. 



On no account, allow these to remain and bloom, if your new trailers 

 are ready for bloom, too. 



PRUNING THE ROSES 



Spring is the time to prune the roses — when they are just commencing 

 to show their "eyes." 



In order to prune roses properly, you must always bear in mind what 

 kind of rose is under treatment. The hybrid perpetuals, the teas, the 

 climbers, the mosses, all require different pruning. As a rule, however, 

 the teas should be more lightly pruned than any of the others, simply clip-, 

 ping a few inches from the tops of the canes, and thinning out the 

 shoots where they have grown too thick. 



The hybrid perpetuals should be trimmed back to within four or five 

 "eyes"; the new shoots that will appear will bear the blossoms, for this 

 season. Be sure to cut out all dead wood; every bush will show more or 

 less winter-killed canes, all of which must yield to the shears. 



Many gardeners, especially those who are not any too sure of them- 

 selves, with regard to rose pruning, make the mistake of not pruning away 

 sufficient wood to force the plant to a strong and vigorous growth. A re- 

 liable rosarian states that the rose surgeon who wields his knife without 

 fear will reap a triple fee in bloom. 



The ramblers send out their flower shoots from the new canes of the 

 previous season, and if there are plenty of these in evidence, all the older 

 wood should go. The desirable canes are those that spring up from the 

 base. If these basal canes are few, it will be safer to shorten the old canes 

 to an inch from where any new canes spring from them. The point 

 for a raw amateur to be careful is, not to cut away the one-season-old 

 canes in mistake. See to it, this coming summer, that a few vigorous 

 new canes are coaxed up from the very base of the plant, to be in readiness 

 for next summer. 



A safe general rule to follow, if rose growing is new to you, is to 

 prune all roses back to within half their old growth. Experience, and care- 

 ful questioning from any successful rosarians with whom you can talk, will 

 soon give you knowledge, and, above all, confidence in the matter of prun- 

 ing. Having gained a certain amount of confidence, it will come easier to 

 you to prune freely, which means plenty of roses. 



MRS. JOHN LAING 



Mrs. John Laing is a rose thai appeals straight to the heart of 

 every gardener. There are so many good points about this beautiful pink 

 rose that one might go "on forever" — but who can possibly describe a pink 

 rose, anyway? 



We merely aim to tell amateur gardeners who have not a specimen of 

 Mrs. John Laing in their garden, that their garden, no matter how perfect 

 in their eyes, cannot possibly be so, without Mrs. John. 



We bought a bush last spring (a year ago), and planted it in a 

 suitable situation. It was a nerve-racking experience to decide 

 just where to cut off the proper branches, according to pruning directions. 



No sign of bloom last year, altho it was especially impressed upon us 

 that luxuriant bloom could not but be expected the same year. Winter ap- 

 proached, and, being wise as well as wary, we took good care to wrap up 

 our new bush well. 



This spring we pruned lightly. Seven buds rewarded us. quite early 

 in June. The first rose was of an immense size, very full and deep; the 



