PRUNING 



opment of wood instead of flowers, especially in the 

 Austrian Briar. 



To again enumerate the main points in this chap- 

 ter: Prune when the new growth can be plainly 

 noted; for medium fine blooms prune the strong 

 varieties on the strongest canes to five and six eyes; 

 weaker canes, to a smaller number. On the weaker 

 varieties prune to three and four eyes on the strong 

 canes; two and three eyes on the weaker ones. If 

 the bushes are desired for garden decoration, do not 

 prune quite so far down the canes; for a few exhi- 

 bition blooms, cut harder, and, later in the season, 

 thin out unnecessary and unpromising growths. For 

 all plants cut out dead wood. In cutting roses during 

 the spring and summer never leave less than two 

 eyes on any cane. This gives summer and autumn 

 blooms. On the very strongest varieties cut to three 

 eyes — always cut to a strong eye. Be sure that the 

 cut is a clean one and slanting, and from one-quarter 

 to one-half an inch above the bud. Always cut to 

 outside buds, except where special direction of the 

 growth is needed. 



In all pruning remember the working rule and so 



accomplish the purpose; the fewer buds the more 



sap they will receive, and the more buds the smaller 



amount of sap each one will get, and also that the 



buds near the base may not break. 

 175 



