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THE GARDEN MAGAZINE 



THE IMPORTANT CLASSES OF ROSES 



The Hybrid Perpetual varieties have one 

 period of bloom, from about June 5th to 

 July 5th. If judiciously cut back after 

 blooming, some additional flowers may be 

 expected in mid-autumn. But as a rule the 

 term "perpetual" is a very misleading name 

 with American conditions of climate. This 

 is the reason why so many people are disap- 

 pointed, who expect these roses to flower 

 freely a second time, as described in English 

 books, which treat of English conditions. 

 The Provence and Damask roses also bloom 

 between June 5th and July 5th. 



The Teas, Hybrid Teas and Bourbons have 

 two distinct periods of bloom, namely, from 

 about June 15th to July 25th, and again from 

 the beginning of September until cut down 

 by frost. 



The Bengal and Polyantha roses bloom 

 off and on at intervals throughout the 

 season. Few of them attain to any great 

 size of flower, and most of the Polyanthas 

 bloom in clusters of miniature roses. But 

 both are very useful at times, when few 

 other roses can be had, and no garden of any 

 large size should be entirely without them. 

 They should be bedded apart from the 

 larger growing varieties, for most of them are 

 small growers; but this rule is by no means 

 absolute. Eugene Beauharnais (Bengal) and 

 Marie Pavie (Polyantha), for example, being 

 very large bushes. 



Rugosas, owing to their very bushy growth, 

 should be in separate beds. Four feet 

 between plants will be none too much. They 

 bloom once profusely, and off and on 

 sparinglv thereafter. 



The climbers follow their races in periods 

 of bloom, the climbing Perpetuals blooming 

 once and the climbing Teas having two 

 good periods of bloom. The Noisettes have 

 the Tea habit; the climbing Hybrid Poly- 

 anthas (which includes the Ramblers), and 

 also the Wichuraiana Hybrids, bloom but 

 once. 



The climbers of any given race take much 

 longer to be established than the non- 

 climbing varieties. Climbers, if planted in a 

 row along a fence or trellis, should be at 

 least four feet apart. Several varieties need 

 twice that space between plants. Their soil 

 should receive at least as deep cultivation as 

 the ordinary rose beds and the plants them- 

 selves should not be forgotten, as the}" often 

 are, when the food supplies are going around. 



THE HARDIEST RACES 



The Hybrid Perpetuals and Rugosas are 

 absolutely hardy in this latitude and require 

 no protection. Polyanthas do not need 

 much. All other varieties are more or less 

 tender. If the owner is satisfied with a 

 single month of bloom and cannot devote 

 the necessary time and attention to protecting 

 other varieties, then all the roses should be 

 selected from among the H. P.'s and Rugosas 

 and the hardy climbers. 



In any case, start with the very best field- 

 grown plants that can be found. Inferior 

 stock is dear at any price, and plants grown 

 in greenhouses cannot be relied upon to 

 survive the winter out of doors. 



WHEN TO PLANT 



Hybrid Perpetuals and Rugosas may be 

 planted in early November, and one need not 

 hesitate to plant most of the Hybrid Teas 

 and the hardier Teas at the same time if 

 prepared to protect them properly and after 

 the first frost. But, as a rule, spring planting 

 gives the most satisfactory results in the end. 

 In this case, plant the Hybrid Perpetuals and 

 Rugosas as soon as the soil is in suitable 

 condition and the frost out of the ground, 

 usually about March 25th. All other varie- 

 ties are best planted after April 20th, when 

 the danger of sharp frosts is past. 



HOW TO PLANT 



If the plants arrive in a shrivelled condi- 

 tion, soak them thoroughly in water and 

 bury them completely in a trench, again 

 soaking them with water. Uncover after 

 three days and they will usually be found 

 revived. If the plants arrive in wet weather, 

 or when the ground is frozen, do not open 

 the box, but place it in a barn or other dry 

 place where there is no artificial heat. Cover 

 it with matting or blankets if the weather is 

 cold. When the weather is dry and condi- 

 tions fit for planting, unpack the roses in a 

 place sheltered from the wind and sun. 

 From this time on it is absolutely necessary 

 to avoid undue exposure of the roots. In 

 sorting out the varieties while still under 

 cover, use old mats or straw to keep the 

 roots covered. 



Do not take any more plants to the beds at 

 a time than can be properly protected nearby 

 or promptly planted. During this move some 

 people protect the roots by dipping them 

 in mud, others carry them about in pails 

 with the roots immersed in water. All these 

 precautions are taken to avoid the immediate 

 and very harmful drying action of the sun, 

 and especially of the wind, upon the fibrous 

 roots of the plants. Hence the first rule for 

 planting is to wait for dry soil and to select, 

 if possible, a calm, cloudy day. 



Examine the roots before planting, cut off 

 neatly any bruised parts, but in general do 

 not prune or shorten rose roots. Examine the 

 stem very carefully for suckers and remove 

 these completely. The difference in appear- 

 ance between a sucker and a root is this; the 

 sucker swells the farther it is from the stem, 

 and the root tapers the farther it is from the 

 stem. 



Too deep and too shallow planting are very 

 damaging errors; the first is certain to kill 

 the plant by rotting the stem, and the second 

 insures spindly, unsatisfactory growth, be- 

 sides exposing the roots to serious strain in 

 high winds. The writer is aware of the 

 success of Mr. Prince in England with shallow 

 planting, but does not believe it to be prac- 

 ticable in this climate. 



The planting can be done by one person, 

 but two working together will accomplish 

 relatively much more and do better w r ork: 

 one holding the plant and the other filling 

 in. 



In planting a long row, it will save time to 

 trench out the site with a wheel hoe to a 

 depth slightly greater than is required, 

 measure off and stake out the rose places, 



plant and fill in. Place the union of the 

 stock with the bud two inches below the 

 surface of the soil, laying the roots out 

 carefully and taking care that they do not 

 cross or coil around. Do not place manure 

 directly in contact with the roots, but first 

 cover them with fine mold, after which some 

 fine well-rotted manure may be laid on, then 

 cover with soil nearly to the final level. 

 Tread in firmly, water the roots freely and 

 when the water is absorbed fill up to the bed 

 level and see that the union of the stock is 

 where it belongs, two inches below the 

 surface. 



Tender roses, planted on or about April 

 20th, may have thrown over them a few 

 loose handfuls of old hay, or other light 

 covering, to protect from possible late frosts 

 and from the glare of the sun. After about 

 ten days this shelter may be removed. 

 The hardy roses do not need it. 



When roses are planted in the autumn, 

 prune them as little as possible. All pruning 

 is best postponed until after February. 

 Sometimes, however, non-climbing roses will 

 shoot up at the end of the season in pithy, 

 worthless stalks or weak streamers, whose 

 swaying in the high winds is likely to be 

 injurious to the plants by disturbing the 

 roots. Such pithy shoots should be cut out 

 altogether and the streamers topped off. 



The pruning of the hardy roses, climbers 

 and non-climbing, should be completed by 

 the middle of March. Tender roses may 

 be pruned in early April; the object is to 

 keep the covering undisturbed as long as 

 possible, but to avoid waiting until the 

 sap is running freely. A revision of the 

 pruning will have to take place by May 1st 

 anyhow, but it should be limited to what is 

 indispensable. Prune back recently planted 

 roses rather vigorously. Protect all severe 

 cuts with tree wax. 



In general, roses are pruned too severely 

 because the owners are following rules laid 

 down for another climate, and for people 

 whose first object is to exhibit. 



The stronger the growth of the rose, the 

 less it should be pruned, many such roses, 

 if too severely cut back, will run to wood 

 (Margaret Dickson) or die out altogether 

 (Gloire Lyonnaise). 



In pruning, cut out all the dead wood and 

 weakest shoots first. Where two limbs 

 make a bad cross and are liable to chafe, 

 remove one of them, remembering to keep the 

 centre of the plant as clear as possible to 

 admit the circulation of air. Now consider 

 what you have left and what you want to do. 

 If but few roses of surpassing size are wanted, 

 then prune a vigorous plant to three or four 

 eyes on the shoot; if you want quantity, leave 

 six eyes, or even more. The last eye left 

 on the shoot should point outward, to avoid 

 crosses. 



In pruning the weak -growing varieties, it 

 will generally be found that the winter has 

 done most of the work already, leaving but 

 little to choose from. 



In this case prune to the very soil, if 

 necessary, to get to sound wood. If any- 



