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CULrURE OF FAVORITE PI.AXTS. 



when the compound should be placed on top of the drainage read}' for receiving the plant, 

 the roots of which should be firmly embedded by pressing the earth about them. If the 

 soil is very light, it will be necessary to add clay or strong clay-loam to render it more 

 retentive of moisture. A liberal dressing of marl or blue-clay benefits all Roses. The 

 first few rain storms should be cai^efully watched to see if the soil settles, as it doubtless 

 will do somewhat into the rubbish placed for drainage, and where it does, the shrinkage 

 should be made good by adding more loam. Top-dressing every year, and the application 

 of liquid manure about twice a week, during summer, are beneficial. 



It is only by rich feeding that the so-called Perpetual Roses will bloom more than 

 once a season in this our dry climate. These varieties should be pruned twice a year 

 — once in June, and again late in the fall; yet of course the pruning depends somewhat 

 on the latitude in which thev are grown. The old wood should be kept well cut out at 

 all times, especiallv in house roses. Pruning in spring hastens the starting of the buds, 

 and should not be done too early, as a sudden frost would at once destroy all prospect 

 of bloom. 



Large trees absorb a great deal of nourishment from the soil, and consequently roses 

 should not be planted too close to them if perfection is expected. They like fresh soil 

 very much, and it frequently benefits pot Roses to wash the soil from their roots, giving 

 them a new supply; but not when budded and blooming, as of course they should not be 

 then disturbed. Roses demand deep, rich soil and plenty of sun and air, to keep them 

 free from disease. If Roses are budded or grafted on other roots than their own, as for 

 instance the brier, or strong-growing wild ones, all canes coming up from the roots should 

 be destroyed as soon as they are observed, as they would absorb much of the nutriment 

 necessary to the well-being of the fairer plant. 



The Climbers and Half-climbers are generally propagated by layers, and the other 

 sorts by cuttings. These cuttings should have three or four joints of half-ripened wood, 

 and may be made to strike root in some shady corner outdoors during summer. The Tea 

 and China Roses, which are the most usually cultivated as house-plants, strike root well 

 if placed along the sides of pots where other plants are growing, as in such situations they 

 enjoy the required shade and heat. The blind shoots, that is, such as produce no flowers, 

 are the best for cuttings in all kinds of Rose plants, as they root well and send forth 

 strong, vigorous flower-bearing stems. If cultivated outside, the Summer Roses can be 

 planted in spring or autumn. In extreme latitudes the plants should be drawn together 

 and bound with straw or matting, and the climbers be laid on the ground and covered 

 with sod, sand or manure. When laying down for winter protection, a few handfuls of 

 soot thrown in among the shoots or on the crown is an excellent preventive against the 

 destructiveness of rats and mice. The small Tea Roses are the ones most frequently found 

 in window culture. The success in cultivation is varied, the heat of dry rooms making 

 them likely to be devoured by insects unless considerable care is exercised. They suffer 

 much if their roots become dry, and die outright if kept too wet. A good way to avoid 

 either extreme is, in potting to put some broken potsherds or charcoal in the bottom, fill- 

 ing in around the roots with rich soil; then place the pot into one a couple of sizes larger, 

 and fill the space between with moss or cotton-batting. This intermediate padding should 

 be kept always damp, thus affording the necessary moisture without excess. 



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