114 COMMERCIAL ROSE CULTURE 



side of the leaves, when wet; these pests attack the plants in a 

 hot dry time and a thorough drenching of the plants and soil 

 will help drive them away. Hand picking will have to be 

 resorted to for Rose bugs and grubs of all descriptions. For 

 mildew dust with sulphur, and spray in the Spring and Fall 

 with the sulphide of lime described in Chapter XII. 



Always make a test of all spraying materials on a few 

 bushes if the exact strength is not known. For rust, the 

 spraying may be done with a copper solution. 



To obtain good flowers, disbudding must be practiced as 

 soon as the buds are large enough to be taken off. If the 

 weather is hot and dry at this time, the crop will be much 

 improved by mulching and copious watering with both clear 

 and manure water. If no mulch is applied, stir the ground fre- 

 quently so as not to allow it to cake. If any suckers appear 

 on the grafted or budded plants they should be rooted out. 



OTHER POINTERS 



In the Fall, all dead leaves and rubbish should be cleaned 

 up and burned. In this way a lot of trouble will be saved the 

 following Spring. Climbing Roses, or tall growing varieties, 

 should be securely fastened so that they will not get broken 

 during the Winter storms. 



During the first half of November the soil may be hilled 

 or drawn up to the plants to the height of eight or nine inches 

 and the space between the rows filled in with manure. This 

 will protect enough of the lower part of the plant so that if 

 the tops Winter kill, there will be enough remaining to produce 

 strong breaks. 



Tender varieties should have pine needles or coarse hay 

 placed among the bushes which may, in turn, be covered by 

 some evergreen branches to keep away strong winds or sun. 

 The strong sun in early Spring, combined with zero nights, is 

 harmful to Roses. 



