128 THE GARDEN BEAUTIFUL 



unsuited to the climate, weakly varieties, or those 

 in a poor state of health. It is usually present as 

 the result of extreme conditions too wet too dry 

 too hot too cold, etc. As an example, many 

 roses, especially the teas, will be attacked by mildew 

 whenever there is a stagnation of water at the roots ; 

 that is, more water than the plant can immediately 

 appropriate or make use of. 



The more common way in which mildew is en- 

 couraged in California is about as follows: Roses 

 are planted in a bed fully exposed to the sun, or, if 

 climbers, are planted on the south side of a build- 

 ing. All day the air is hot and dry. In the evening 

 when "the boss" comes home from work they are 

 watered, which treatment but increases the chilli- 

 ness of the night air, making conditions precisely 

 the reverse from those which obtain throughout the 

 day. These utmost extremes hot and dry by day, 

 cold and wet by night are too great to expect any 

 but the hardiest rose to withstand. 



The proper treatment would tend to equalize 

 rather than accentuate these extremes. Water in 

 the morning, early ; you will then find the surround- 

 ing atmosphere to be somewhat moist all day, but 

 before the chill of night creeps in the plant and the 

 sun and air will have absorbed nearly or quite all 

 of the moisture and the air during the night will in 

 consequence be comparatively warm and dry. This 

 latter treatment, if the surface soil is kept stirred 

 and the drainage is good, will in a majority of cases 

 ward off attacks of mildew which, but for such pre- 

 cautions, might seriously injure the roses. 



PROPAGATION OF ROSES 



There are three methods of propagating or in- 

 creasing the number of roses ; by seeds, by cuttings, 



