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AMERICAN HOMES AND GARDENS 



April, 1913 



treatment in the way of 

 pruning as the garden sorts 

 do — in fact, one of the great 

 differences between them is 

 that the former flower on 

 old wood, while the latter do 

 not. This makes it desir- 

 able to prune them right 

 after the flowering period. 

 Cut back the canes only 

 about one-fourth their 

 length; and also prune any 

 that may rub together or 

 make the plant unsymmetrical. 

 As they grow older, the main 

 canes become gradually of 

 less use for flowering and 



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should be occasionally cut out, before they are actually dead, 

 to make place for new growth. One of the commonest 

 mistakes in the handling of Climbing Roses, is to let the 

 new growth reach full size and then attempt, with many 

 prickings and not infrequently, if the sad truth be told, 

 without some petulance, to tie up the whole ungainly affair. 

 Just get them started right, and this work, if attended to 

 regularly, will almost take care of itself, and the results train them to, nothing better can be found. The following 



very likely to fail, if tried. 

 The Rugosa (or Ramanas) 

 Roses are not only extreme- 

 ly hardy, but require the 

 least of care. I know of one 

 bank of them, put in for a 

 screen, which has not been 

 touched either in the way ot 

 cultivation or pruning, for 

 years, and yet every Sum- 

 mer brings a most generous 

 supply of large, handsome 

 flowers, followed by gigantic 

 crimson seed "apples." But 

 for best results they should 

 be pruned by cutting out each 

 year a number of the older 

 canes, and shortening the others back a few inches. They 

 need no supports and will thrive under almost any condi- 

 tions which may be imposed upon them. The Sweet Brier 

 and Sweet Brier Hybrids, are also good for this purpose. 

 They cannot well be used as a hedge unless some support 

 is given; but where a tall screen is wanted, and a wire 

 fence with the strands two feet or so apart, can be used to 



will be very much better. Many of the Climbing Roses, 

 especially of the less vigorous sorts, do best when trained 

 loosely to stakes or "pillars." Do not let them grow 

 straight up from the root, as this allows all the sap to flow 

 too freely to the top, so that the bottom part of the cane 

 is denuded. About a foot from the ground bend the cane 

 at right angles and then bend it up again in the direction 

 desired. The Hybrid Sweet Briars (Lord Penzance Hy- 

 brids), are also excellent to use in this way. They form a 

 very novel, beautiful class, with which every grower of 

 Roses should become familiar. They should not be pruned 

 at all — just cut out enough wood to keep the plants from 

 becoming too crowded. 



ROSES FOR HEDGES AND SHRUBBERY 



Yet another use for the 

 ever adaptable Rose is in the 

 formation of hedges, and as 

 single specimens on the lawn 

 or among the shrubbery. 

 The first requisite for Roses 

 for such service must be 

 hardiness, and this charac- 

 teristic is found to the great- 

 est extent in the Rugosas. 

 These common forms of the 

 Rugosa— single flowers of 

 glossy crimson and pure 

 white — somewhat resemble 

 Wild Roses, except that they 

 are much larger. They 

 bloom most of the Summer, 

 and in Autumn and early 

 Winter are still beautiful, 

 with the large bright red 

 pips. For their foliage alone 

 they would be well worth 

 planting; it is a very dark, 

 glossy green, always a dense 

 mass, and of extreme hardi- 

 ness. The double forms are 

 even more beautiful, and 

 make the very best of all 

 Roses for use as single speci- 

 mens on the lawn, where the 

 common garden Roses are 



A Rose surrounded sundial is a feature worth emulating 



Roses for hedges and landscape effects are recommended 



RUGOSA ROSES 



Single Rugosa, large single flowers in clusters, perpetual 

 flowering, two colors, glossy crimson and pure white; Nova 

 Zemhla, large double white flowers, with pink blush, 6 feet 

 high, fine shrub; Blanc de Couhert, very large flowers, pure, 

 glistening white, shapely bush; Sir Thomas Lipton, pure 

 white and very fragrant; Magnifica, large double flowers, 

 brilliant carmine; Conrad F. Meyer, large, silvery Rose, 

 very fragrant. 



HYBRID SWEET BRIERS 



Refulgence, enormous flowers of bright scarlet, borne in 

 large, loose clusters; Brenda, deep, creamy pink, a great 

 favorite ; Meg Merrilies, deep crimson, extra free flowering 



and strong; Lord Penzance, 

 delicate buff shading to 

 lemon yellow at center. 



GENERAL CARE OF ROSES 



Roses are sent out in the 

 Spring in two forms — grow- 

 ing potted plants, with the 

 foliage, well started; and 

 "dormant roots," which look 

 as dead as door nails when 

 you get them, but are ready 

 to break into vigorous life 

 when the proper conditions 

 for growth are furnished 

 them. Every effort should 

 be made to have the ground 

 ready when the plants arrive 

 that they may be set out at 

 once. The first precaution 

 in planting Roses is not to 

 let the roots dry out. Get 

 everything ready before- 

 hand, and keep the roots 

 wrapped in wet moss while 

 you are planting, or have the 

 balls of earth thoroughly 

 soaked before setting out. 

 The second is to set the 

 plants in firmly. Loose 

 planting is the cause of most 

 (Continued on page 142) 



