64 COMMERCIAL ROSE CULTURE 



six weeks in Midsummer. This time is approximate; it could 

 not be given exactly, as time varies with the ever changing 

 weather conditions, and what is just right this year may be a 

 week or more wrong the next. 



Where a succession of bloom is desired, which is really 

 what every man needs, a good plan is to start the plants flow- 

 ering at intervals of two weeks, dividing them up into as many 

 lots as possible or desirable, according to the size of the place 

 and the requirements of the market. 



Staking should be done as soon as possible after planting. 

 We use stakes of No. 9 wire, four feet long. These are fastened 

 with clips at the top, to a wire running the length of the bed 

 and securely fastened and held tight on the ends; No. 18, or 

 bench wire, is used for this. This wire, and the stakes, are 

 galvanized and last a great many years. These are for Tea 

 and Hybrid Tea Roses. For American Beauty Roses an ar- 

 rangement of wire and strings, such as is used for Asparagus, 

 Smilax, or Chrysanthemums, is generally used. 



Tie up all plants neatly and carefully in such a manner 

 that the string will not cut the bark, and avoid bunching the 

 foliage. Never crowd the leaves. Simply tie up the shoots for 

 support, always leaving room for the sun and air to get at the 

 plants and on the beds, and for the water to reach every part 

 when syringing. 



Watering must be done carefully, especially in the dark 

 days of Winter. Generally speaking, this can be done about 

 once a week on light soils, all Winter, but no rule will apply 

 everywhere alike. It is better to err on the under watering 

 side than to overdo it in November and December, although I 

 have seen benches, which would not dry out, which were 

 benefited by having a thorough soaking of warm water applied 

 so heavily that it ran through the bottom and cleared away any 

 sourness which might have been existing in the soil. After the 

 middle of January, or early February, Roses will take more 



