242 



growths of the true Rose or offsets from 

 the stock, a comparison of their foliage with 

 that known to belong to the Rose will usuaUy 

 settle the question. Carefully compare the 

 leaves at the tip of one with the leaves at 

 the tip of the other ; look at the thorns on 

 the wood of each, their colour, shape, and 

 the number of them in a given space, say 

 an inch. Take note of the number of leaflets 

 to each leaf of the foliage, and compare the 

 colour and outline of the leaflets of one with 

 the leaflets of the other. The brier, or 



Gardening for Amateurs 



Rose Betty (Hybrid Tea), splendid for garden display; 

 copper, rose and yellow shades. 



stock, generally has seven leaflets to the 

 leaf, and the Rose but five, but too much 

 reliance must not be placed on this part 

 of the test as there are many true Roses 

 having seven leaflets to the leaf. 



I should strongly recommend anyone who 

 finds difficulty in deciding the matter after 

 applying the above tests to turn up the 

 soil carefully from the point at which the 

 sucker shows above ground, and to trace 

 the long shoot right back to its source ; 

 if it start from a point below that at which 

 the Rose was budded on the stock, cut it 

 off cleanly at once as being a brier sucker, 

 but if it start from the budding point or 



above it, it must, of course, be a true Rose 

 shoot, and can be left if so desired, or tied 

 to a stick or cane, cut off in the following 

 autumn or spring, and grown as an independ- 

 ent Rose on its own roots. 



When Gutting Roses (and the latter 

 part of May even in the north often finds 

 certain varieties in bloom, such as Paul 

 Lede and Conrad F. Meyer) be sure to cut 

 well down the branch or shoot, and to a 

 point just above a plump bud facing out- 

 wards. The flower looks more beautiful, 

 and is of greater use with a long 

 stem and some of its own 

 foliage ; a shapely plant is 

 maintained in this way, and the 

 size of the flowers is likely to be 

 satisfactory. 



During May weak liquid manure 

 may be given every few days, but 

 it is always better to water well 

 first with plain water, and when 

 the weather, and consequently 

 the soil, is warm and dry it is 

 absolutely essential that this pre- 

 liminary watering should take 

 place. 



Managing Climbing Roses. 

 Climbing Roses make new and 

 strong growths early in the season 

 (which is important), if they are 

 bountifuUy supplied with water 

 and weak liquid manure in March 

 (if the weather be not frosty) 

 and throughout April and May. 

 The earlier in the season these 

 long growths can be got to 

 develop the longer time they 

 have to harden and ripen before winter, and 

 the less likelihood there is of their being 

 damaged in the cold periods and the severe 

 weather when winter actually comes. 



Roses near walls and climbing Roses 

 growing on walls, should be supplied with 

 much more water, and more frequently than 

 Roses on pillars, fences, and pergolas, or 

 even bush, pillar and tree Roses in the open 

 garden. Walls not only keep off a great 

 deal of rain which otherwise would fall on 

 the plants, but especially if made of brick 

 they seem to absorb all the moisture from 

 the soil contiguous to them, keeping it un- 

 naturally dry, a state abhorrent to most 



