228 



Gardening for Amateurs 



formerly supplied to the old stems ; these, 

 therefore, always have a tendency to fail 

 in vigour, to become diseased, and to decay, 

 while the young stems flourish and increase 

 in strength and vitality. So, when prun- 

 ing, all dead, diseased, damaged, over- 

 crowded, or unripe wood should be ruth- 

 lessly cut out first. This clears the way, 

 and one can see better how to proceed. 



Pruning may be hard or moderate or 

 slight. 



To prune hard, the thin, weakly, or dis- 

 eased wood is first removed, and the main 

 branches or growths are reduced to from 

 three to five or so in number. These are 

 then cut back to from 2 to 4 inches in 

 length. The point of severance in this and 

 all cases should be just above a bud point- 

 ing outwards. Most hybrid perpetuals do 

 better when hard pruned. 



Moderate pruning means that after thin, 

 weak, and dead growth is cut out, the main 

 branches are reduced to from four to six 

 in number and left 6 or 8 inches in length. 



Slight pruning means that the dead and 

 diseased wood is removed, together with any 

 excessively thin and weak growths, and 

 that the tips of the strong shoots are snipped 

 off in most cases, but not in all. The excep- 

 tions will be mentioned when individual 

 Roses are dealt with later on. 



As already stated, Hybrid Perpetuals need 

 hard pruning, but Teas and Hybrid Teas do 

 better, as a rule, with only moderate prun- 

 ing for garden purposes. When grown for 

 exhibition, all Roses, almost without ex- 

 ception, need to be hard pruned ; they then 

 produce few but large and good blooms. 



Climbing Roses thrive better and bear 

 larger blossoms if all old stems are taken 

 out annually, just after flowering, say in 

 July and August in the south and in August 

 and September in the north. Of course, 

 this cannot be done if there be not suffi- 

 cient new growths to cover the available 

 supports ; but most of the Wichuraiana 

 (Dorothy Perkins type) Roses throw up 

 an abundance of strong new growths each 

 summer. It is advisable to get rid of the 

 old stems on Roses of the Crimson Rambler 

 (multiflora) type unless, as sometimes hap- 

 pens, a fresh, vigorous growth arises on the 

 lower part of the old stem. In this case 



the latter is shortened to the point at which 

 the new growth appeared. The old stems 

 of Crimson Rambler Rose bear few flowers, 

 and retaining them is, I am convinced, a 

 common cause of disease, for they offer a 

 vulnerable point of attack to fungoid diseases 

 and pests generally. 



Provence or Cabbage Roses should have 

 the old, dead, or overcrowded wood taken 

 out and the young growths should be cut 

 down to 2 feet or so. 



Moss Roses need much the same treat- 

 ment, though with this difference, that they 

 should be pruned less severely. Many people 

 think it well to peg down the longer growths 

 of these Roses. 



Bourbon and Hybrid Bourbon Roses need 

 little pruning. Merely cut out dead and use- 

 less weakly growths. 



China Roses need little more than thinning 

 and to be relieved of dead and diseased 

 wood. 



Damask Roses, which are generally grown 

 in bush form, need no severe pruning, but 

 thin and worn-out shoots should be cut 

 away. 



Noisettes, which are generally climbers or 

 pillar Roses, but are not rampant, require 

 comparatively little pruning. Old healthy 

 stems should be retained unless the base 

 of the tree is getting bare. The cutting 

 back of an old stem often results in the 

 production of a young and vigorous one. 

 Side shoots on the older stems should be 

 shortened to within three or four buds of 

 the base. 



Rugosa. The Japanese briars are of 

 very free growth, and are mostly grown as 

 pillars or bushes. Old stems are cut out 

 and fresh ones may be shortened little or 

 much according to whether big bushes or 

 those of moderate size are needed. A 

 method sometimes recommended is to cut 

 the bush right down in March, the result 

 being that it will bloom on the new wood 

 late in the season. If this be done the bush 

 should be very liberally treated in the way 

 of manure. 



Ayrshire, Banksia, and Boursault Roses 

 require little or no pruning in the sense of 

 cutting back ; but, like all Roses, a little 

 attention is necessary to relieve them of 

 dead and useless growth. 



