350 THE BOOK OF THE ROSE chap. 



seasons, the month of Eoses, H.P.s being a little 

 later than the old-fashioned Boses of the poets. 

 The last week in June and the first fortnight in July 

 are roughly the general bounds of " the season " for 

 the metropolitan latitude. Rose shows will be in full 

 swing, and exhibitors for a time will have enough to 

 do in cutting their blooms and rushing about the 

 country night and day to the various shows. 

 Mildew often gets a chance now of establishing 

 itself, and hoeing and aphides are too frequently 

 neglected. It is harvest time, and the details of 

 culture] are naturally neglected for a while. Still, 

 even before the show-boxes are put away, budding 

 will have commenced with Tea buds on standards 

 stocks, as these stocks often suffer from a stagnation 

 of sap in August, and Tea buds, which cannot always 

 be got in sufficient quantity, will stand the winter 

 better if they be budded early. 



While the Eoses are still at their best, it is 

 advisable that notes be made of the colours and 

 good or bad qualities of unfamiliar varieties, as even 

 a good memory may hold a somewhat unreliable 

 picture of certain flowers if they be not accurately 

 judged in comparison with others, and the results 

 of observation commited to writing at once. Now 

 is the time to condemn certain sorts for weeding out 

 and to determine to grow more of others. If it be 

 found that some variety does better in a certain 

 situation or on a particular stock, especial notice 

 should be taken of the fact. The foundations of a 

 good deal of work for the rest of the year may 

 depend upon a few days' observation. All flowers 

 should be cut as soon as they are faded, if not before, 



