OCTOBER 22, 1908. 



The Weekly Florists^ Review* 



as Crimson Rambler and the newer sin- 

 gle Hiawatha. "I have seen Dorothy 

 Perkins used in a variety of ways, and 

 while it is extremely beautiful when 

 grown up a stout oak post, so as to pro- 

 vide a fountain of beauty and fra- 

 grance, I fancy it is never seen to bet- 

 ter advantage than when it adorns a 

 rustic arch. Its merits as a pot plant 

 we all know full well, but the fullest 

 freedom of gi"owth and bloom are only 

 to be seen when, planted in good soil, a 

 plant or plants take possession of an 

 arch. Ravenscourt Park, Hammersmith, 

 is not an ideal rose district, for it is 

 within the metropolitan area, but there 

 are many good gardens in the district, 

 and Mr. Gingell, the superintendent of 

 Ravenscourt Park, always provides an 

 excellent display. As a town rose 

 Dorothy Perkins has unquestionably 

 strong claims to attention from owners 

 of gardens large enough to afford room 

 for roses." In *the accompanying illus- 

 tration the rose surrounds a sun dial. 



HARDY ROSE JOTTINGS. 



Advantages of Fall Planting. 



Too little attention is paid to the 

 fall planting of not only roses, but many 

 other shrubs and trees in America. The 

 nurseries are simply overwhelmed with 

 orders in spring and there are long and, 

 to customers, vexatious delays in making 

 shipments. The plants are often badly 

 dried out before being planted, frequent- 

 ly get hot, dry weather after they are 

 in the ground, and it is safe to hazard a 

 guess that fifty per cent, on an average, 

 either die at once or do not come through 

 tbe first winter. Plants set out* in spring 

 produce, at best, but a few miserable, 

 short-stemmed flowers; at least, such is 

 the case with the hybrid perpetuals. 



It is a thousand pities that more grow- 

 ers cannot be induced to try fall planting 

 of hybrid roses. Set out at the end 

 of October or beginning of November, 

 they will winter well and give vastly 

 superior blooms to spring planted stock. 

 TUe nurseries would be only too glad to 

 handle fall orders. It would somewhat 

 lessen the spring pressure, and customers 

 , would receive fresh stock from the 

 ground, whereas in spring a great pro- 

 portion of the plants sent out are either 

 from Europe or have been stored in 

 sheds and cellars over winter. 



Value of Budded Stock. 



As between budded stock and that 

 grown from cuttings, there can be no 

 comparison; the latter is shorter lived, 

 more easily winter-killed and makes a 

 feeble growth. 



A great quantity of hybrid perpetuals 

 are annually handled in America, which 

 have been produced in the low muck 

 lands of Holland. These can be bought 

 and sold cheaper than American or Brit- 

 ish roses. They are usually to be found 

 in auction rooms and on dry goods coun- 

 ters. It has been truly said that these 

 do more to discourage rose culture among 

 the masses of the people than all other 

 contributory causes combined. 



Location and Drainage. 



The best location for roses is consid- 

 ered by M. H. Walsh, a well-known rose 

 expert, to be a southeast to southwest 

 exposure, but I have noted little dif- 

 ference in the quality of blooms whether 

 the site runs north and south or east 

 and west. Protection from cold north 

 winds is advantageous, if the protection 



Dorothy Perkins Rose and Sun Dial. 



(The second year after planting.) 



is not of a nature to shut off air and 

 sunlight. There will be less mildew on 

 fully exposed plants than if the same 

 are grown close to buildings. 



Good drainage is essential. Heavy 

 soils are preferable to light ones. The 

 latter suits the hybrid teas, but not the 

 hybrid perpetuals. The ground should 

 be deeply plowed or spaded and well 

 manured. Dip the roots in a puddle of 

 thick, clayey water before planting. This 

 is better than watering and less labori- 

 ous. Spread the roots out well and see 

 that the soil is thoroughly firmed. The 

 buds of worked plants should be cover- 

 ed about three inches. Neither roses nor 

 any other plants will grow and thrive 

 if loosely planted. 



Winter Protection.' 



The question of proper winter pro- 

 tection is a vital one, and here many 

 growers continue to make mistakes. No 

 protection should be afforded until just 

 before freezing-up weather. In New 

 England this work is done about the end 

 of November, and consists of drawing 

 soil up to the stems closely until they 

 are buried about six inches. No other 

 covering is really needed for hybrid per- 

 petuals. Manure, straw, leaves, pine 

 needles and other covering are often used, 

 but nothing is better than earth, for, un- 

 less the plants are standing in water, 

 the wood will be found green from be- 

 low the earth protection. In the case of 

 hybrid teas, in addition to soiling thoni. 



leaves and spruce boughs are necessary. 

 Unless the location is a mild one, it is 

 better to dig up the plants and either 

 bury them in the ground until spring 

 or heel together thickly in a coldframe. 



Pruning. 



The question is often asked, should 

 hybrid perpetuals be cut back a little 

 in the fall! It is not wise to do any 

 trimming until spring, and it also is well 

 not to be in too big a rush about doing 

 it even then. Many are tempted to 

 head back the plants with the first signs 

 of spring. Such plants are liable to 

 make nice breaks and have them killed 

 back by a late, severe frost. In south- 

 eastern Massachusetts from April 10 to 

 l.l is suflHciently early. 



The bulk of growers err in not pruning 

 hybrids severely enough. On the most 

 robust varieties, it is better not to leave 

 over eight to ten inches of the strong- 

 est shoots, and on weaker ones half 

 that length is sufficient. All weak wood 

 should be removed entirely. The severe 

 cutting back insures vigorous shoots, such 

 as cannot be had from light pruning, 

 and it enables one the more readily to 

 protect part of the current ' season 's 

 growth when earthing-up time comes. 



While hybrid perpetuals thrive best 

 on rather heavy land, the increasingly 

 popular hybrid teas do better on light 

 soil which has been heavily manured. A 

 mulching and occasional waterings are 

 beneficial and help to keep the plants 



V 



