HANDLING RAMBLER ROSES 507 



Handling Field-grown Rambler Stock 

 Field-grown plants are more difficult to force early; they should 

 be lifted about October tenth and immediately potted up and kept 

 sufficiently watered so as to prevent hardening or ripening of the 

 canes from lack of moisture. After two weeks treat the same as the 

 pot-grown stock, though a house of 40 deg. will be better than a 

 frame when it gets to 32 deg. or lower. With favorable conditions 

 the plants wiU make root growth and in a temperature of 45 deg. will 

 start to break by the end of January. Keep them well sprayed to 

 keep the wood moist; it will help them to break easier. 



There are men who can successfully force field-grown Ramblers 

 for Easter, even when it occurs on an early date, but it means tak- 

 ing advantage of every minute, so to speak, in preparing the stock. 

 A dry FaU and an early frost will help to ripen the wood. The plants 

 are not aUowed to lie around when dug, but are potted up in heavy 

 soil as firmly as the pot will stand. The soil is kept evenly moist 

 after having been thoroughly soaked at planting time and the wood 

 is not exposed to severe freezing afterward; on the other hand, the 

 plants are brought into a dormant state without drying up the canes, 

 which means much in securing new breaks afterward. As already 

 stated, keeping the wood fairly moist by spraying also helps. The 

 plants before and while starting to break are never subjected to a 

 warm house, but when once under way they are kept going. 



To force or grow Roses, you should never be handicapped by 

 lack of heating facilities, but should have somebody in charge to main- 

 tain an even temperature. You cannot afford to bank your fires at 

 ten o'clock, leaving the house at 55 deg. and have the temperature 

 drop to 48 deg. by next morning. If you cannot maintain the right 

 conditions, you are better off purchasing your wants for early 

 use and letting your own stock come along for May flowering — a 

 time when every florist can dispose of a good number of plants. 



Ramblers and Other Climbing Roses for Outdoors 



There isn't a home ground where one cannot find room for a 

 few climbing Roses, whether it be on a treUis against the house or 

 porch, over the gate entrance, or along the fence. These Roses do 

 not flower aU Summer, as is the case with the more tender climbing 

 Hybrid Teas, such as Kaiserin Augusta Victoria or Testout, but 

 when in flower you can't see anything else in the neighborhood. 

 In order to sell these Roses and make them pay you must not only 

 carry a stock, but also let your customers know about it. These, 

 like the Hybrid Teas for bedding, should be grown on in pots. 

 Save what live canes you can on the plants and tie them up nicely. 

 If you aUow them to come along slowly in a frame you wfll have 

 plants by the end of May with about a 1-in. growth, which will 



