VIII 

 CULTIVATION 



IF you have followed the directions given in this 

 book for location, preparation of bed, ordering, 

 planting and pruning, your really hard work is over 

 and the most pleasant part is before you. The 

 actual culture of the rose is very easy and agreeable. 

 Beyond a little spring and autumn care, some 

 spraying and the weeding of the beds, there is not 

 much work to be done. In the spring, after the 

 frost is out of the ground, you should have taken 

 off the covering of your bed, whether it be litter or 

 only leaves. The little mounds should now be raked 

 down so that the bed is level, and if your roses were 

 covered with litter the greater part of it, especially 

 the straw, should be removed, and the manure 

 that is left should be well forked into the bed. 

 After the roses are pruned, the next thing which 

 should occupy your attention is the feeding of 

 the plants in order to give a particularly fine 

 growth. 



In the bed itself, of course, you have enough 

 manure to furnish the roots with food for many 

 years, but to secure the best results you should 



125 



