13 



upwards half-way through the stem for 2 inches in length and peg 

 it down 2 or 3 inches deep, making the soil firm round it. 



July and August are the best months for layering. If layeted 

 in July the free-rooters will be ready to take off in November. In 

 spring they may be cut down to three or four eyes, and some may 

 bloom the first summer or autumn after layering. 



Suckers. — ^The Scotch Rose (R. spinosissima) , R. rugosa, R. alpina, 

 the Provence and Damask hybrids are given to throwing up suckers, 

 but they are often difficult to separate from the mother plant with 

 much root. Autumn is the best time to lift and replant suckers. 



Enemies. — The chief enemies of the rose to be reckoned with are. 

 Mildew, Black Spot, Rust, Grubs and Caterpillars, and Greenfly or 

 Rose Aphis. 



It should be borne in mind in all attempts to check diseases caused 

 by fungi that " Prevention is better than cure." The reason for this is 

 the fact that the majority of fungus parasites, immediately after 

 infection, spread in the living tissues of the plant they have attacked ; 

 hence it is impossible to kill the fungus without at the same time 

 killing or at least severely injuring the plant. When a fungus spore 

 falls on a leaf, germinates, and passes into the interior of the leaf, it 

 commences to form spawn or mycelium, which grows at the expense of 

 the material accumulated by the plant for its own use. This process 

 of growth on the part of the spawn usually lasts for one or two weeks 

 before the leaf shows any sign of the presence of the parasite. 



When the spawn has accumulated a sufficient amount of reserve 

 food, its presence is made known by a white or brown patch on the 

 surface of the leaf, and later the fruit of the fungus bursts through 

 to the surface, when the spores are quickly conveyed by wind, rain, 

 insects, birds, &c., to neighbouring plants, and unless drastic measures 

 are taken an epidemic is the result. From this it will be seen that 

 infection has taken place before its presence is revealed under the 

 familiar form of mildew or rust, and it is obvious that prevention is 

 the point to be aimed at. To effect this two conditions are absolutely 

 necessary, cleanliness and spraying. 



Mildew. — This is undoubtedly the most destructive and at the same 

 time the most prevalent disease with which the rose-grower has to 

 contend. Generally speaking, '' soft " fohage favours this disease, 

 whereas hard wood cannot be so readily infected. This is not only 

 true as regards fohage affected by weather conditions, but also as 

 to the relative " hard " or " soft " fohage and shoots of different 

 varieties of roses. A damp, warm, " muggy " season causes the foliage 

 to remain soft and highly susceptible to disease ; too strong doses 

 of nitrogenous manure have the same effect. An exceptionally rainy 

 season is unfavourable to the development of mildew and other 

 fungus diseases, because the rain washes the spores to the ground 

 almost as fast as they are produced. 



Mildew, as a rule, first appears in the spring, soon after the foliage 

 is full grown, and again, soon after midsummer, it attacks the leaves 



A 4 



