THE CUBA REVIEW 



AND BULLETIN 



"ALL ABOUT CUBA" 



Copyright. 1907, by the Munson Steamship Line. 



Volume V. APRIL, 1907 Number 5. 



ROSES IN CUBA. 



Everyday in the Year. Directions for planting and for Cultivation. Choice 

 Varieties which are Constant Bloomers. 



BY PROF. C. F. AUSTIN. 

 Chief of the Department of Horticulture at the Agricultural Experiment Station, Santiago de 1 Vegas, Cuba. 



While there are many choice flowers in Cuba, the rose is the queen of them 

 all for every day in the year. 



At present Cuba cannot boast of her roses, but there is no reason why she 

 should not be able to do so, for they will grow in great bfeauty all the time, eveo 

 the most beautiful teas and hybrid teas blossoming in abundance. There is no 

 reason why the Pearl of the Antilles should not be a perpetual garden of roses. 



The rose is very cosmopolitan as to soil and, while it does its best in land con- 

 taining a good per cent, of clay, soil of this kind is not essential to success with it. 

 Roses must have a rich soil, however; they are not a plant for poor lands. 



The soil should be well worked up before planting, so that it will be fine and 

 mellow to the depth of six or eight inches. An abundance of well-rotted stable 

 manure or other decayed vegetable matter should be worked into it. Be sure that 

 this material is fine and thoroughly decayed so that it will not fill the ground with 

 straw and coarse trash. After roses are planted they should have a good top dress- 

 ing of manure once or twice a year and worked into the ground. In addition to this 

 vegetable matter a good dressing of blood and bone or any good commercial ferti- 

 lizer, applied once in six months at the rate of one pound per plant, will add greatly 

 to their vigor of growth and flower. During long dry spells the plants should be watered 

 thoroughly every two' Aveeks to keep them in continuous bloom. 



Hoe roses frequently and prune freely. Do not be afraid to cut away the wood. 



We have found that many of the more delicate roses do better when budded upon a 

 strong, vigorous stock. In planting budded roses set them so that the union of the bud 

 with the stock will be a little below the surface of the ground, in order as much as pos- 

 sible to prevent the sprouting of the stock, for if these sprouts are allowed to grow they 

 will soon choke out the bud. 



Roses should not be planted closer than three feet each way, and many of the larger 

 types will want more space. The best time to plant is during- the months of March and 

 April, for then the rains soon come and start the plants into vigorous growth. Use strong, 

 one or two year old, field-grown plants, for they will give better results than smaller ones! 



We have grown and tested many of the different types of roses, and it is in the tea 

 and hybrid tea groups that the choicest varieties for Cuba are found. They are constant 

 and profuse bloomers through the whole year. The following have done the best with us : 

 Bride, Bridesmaid, Empress Marie of Russia, Bon Silene, American Banner, Letty Coles, 

 Madame Vatry, Madame Lombard. Etoile de Lyon, Safrano, Kaiserin Augusta Victoria! 

 Helen Gould, Chestnut Hybrid, General McArthur, Mrs. Robert Garret. 



On your lawn nothing will exceed the bright red color of the Bengals, for they are 

 always in bloom and are very showy and bright. Of this group the Agrippina, Douglas 

 and Louis Philippe are the best varieties. Among the Polyanthas, Perle d'or and Clothilde 

 S'oupert have given the best results. The hybrid perpetuals, that are so successful in the 



