DREER’S SPECIALLY PREPARED 
Roses for the Garden. 
While many of our customers are familiar with the grade of Roses which we send out, we wish to direct the attention of those 
who have never planted our stock to the manner in which these plants are prepared. The bulk of our Roses are what are known 
as field-grown plants; that is, the plants have been cultivated in fields during the growing season of 1909. In fall they were: care- 
fully dug, planted in pots and stored in cold greenhouses, where artificial heat is only used to exclule severe’ frost. Under this 
treatment the plants develop in the most natural way, and are much superior to stock which has been forced in a high temperature 
into an unnatural and weakened growth, and at the same time they must not be confounded with the comparatively worthless Hol- 
land-grown Roses, which are sold so cheaply ina dormant condition each season. Our Roses are either home-grown or grown 
for us in England or Ireland by specialists who have made a life-study of the Rose, a very large percentage of the Hybrid- 
Teas and Hybrid Perpetuals having been received from the famous nurseries of Messrs. Dickson & Sons, Belfast, Ireland. Most 
of these plants are budded or grafted, and while some planters prefer stock grown on their own roots on account of the liability of 
budded plants to throw up suckers, this will rarely occur if the deep planting as directed below is followed, and if a wild shoot 
skould appear it is readily distinguished by its seven small leaves instead of the usual five, and removed close to the root. Much can 
be said in favor of budded plants, being more vigorous, producing finer blooms, come into bearing sooner, and are just as permanent 
and hardy as those on their own roots. 
HOW TO GROW ROSES. 
SITUATION.—Good Roses may be grown in almost any If quality is desired, all weak growth should be removed, and 
soil and position; but if the highest quality is desired, it is | the remaining canes cut back in proportion to their development, 
necessary.to select an open, sunny position, sheltered from north | the weaker ones to about four inches from the root, and stronger 
winds, and clear of all roots of trees and shrubs. ones eight to nine inches. All canes should be cut off about a 
PREPARATION OF THE BEDS.—Roses will grow and | quarter of an inch above an outside bud. By doing this, the 
give good returns in any fertile, well-drained ground; but it is plant will grow in an open head, as the buds usually grow in 
worth while to use some care in the preparation of the beds, as the whatever direction they first take. Roses, pruned in this way, 
general health of the plants, quantity and quality of bloom usually | Teqdulre no staking up, and will need no summer pruning, the 
more than repays the extra care expended on this detail. The best | Cutting of the flowers with good stems being sufficient. 
soil for Roses is sod from an old pasture and well-rotted cow Hybrid Tea and Tea sorts are best not pruned until they show 
manure. Dig out the bed to a depth of two to three feet, and, evidence of growth, indicated by the buds beginning to swell. 
if drainage is imperfect, it must be provided for. Fill in with a By that time dead or unhealthy wood is readily detected, mak- 
mixture of soil and manure as above. It is best to make the | ing it easy to see what should be cut away and what should be 
beds some time in advance of planting, to allow time for settling, retained. They do not need such severe pruning as that de- 
After the soil is settled, it should be about an inch below the | scribed for the Hybrid Perpetuals, and all wood that looks prom- 
level of the adjacent surface; make the beds not over three and | 1!Ng May be left on. 
a half feet wide, which enables you to pick the blooms without Climbing Roses require no pruning beyond cutting out the 
stepping om the: bed. very old or dead wood and the shortening of the laterals and 
i i to make the growth conform to the space to be covered. 
PLANTING AND SUMMER CARE.—The ideal time canes : ; ’ 
to plant is in the spring, just after danger from frost is past. WINTER PROTECTION. —In the latitude of Philadelphia 
Tea and Hybrid Tea varieties can be set 18 inches apart, | 4 Covering of three or four inches of manure or leaves over the 
Hybrid Perpetual two feet apart, and both eight inches from the entire bed is sufficient. In colder latitudes, draw the leaves up 
edge of the beds. When the plants are supplied in pots, they around the stems six or eight inches higher, and in very cold 
should be set so that the ball of earth is about two and one-half | Places earth them up and protect with corn stalks or evergreen 
inches below the level of the ground. Firm the soil well around boughs. For Tea Roses a good plan is to put a temporary 
the plants, and give a thorough watering if the soil is dry. fence of twelve-inch chicken wire netting around the bed, filling 
Throughout the summer the surface of the bed should be culti- | 1 loosely with leaves, with a little earth or some branches over 
vated weekly. If this is done, watering will be unnecessary. all to prevent them from blowing away. 
There is no better mulch than dry, loose soil. ENEMIES.—When grown under favorable conditions, Roses 
PRUNING.—About the end of October, it is well tocut back | are not so apt to be attacked by insect pests and other troubles as 
to about three feet all the canes of the strong-growing sorts. | they are if half starved and otherwise neglected. Our own ex- 
This prevents them from being whipped by the winter winds, | perience shows that a weekly application of Bordeaux Arsenate 
which, unless staked, would loosen and break the tender feeding | of Lead Mixture, at the rate of eight ounces to five gallons of 
roots. The principal pruning should be done in spring, begin- | water, applied with a whisk broom, or any sprayer that will 
ning with the Hybrid Perpetuals in March. reach the under side of the foliage, beginning at the time that 
If quantity of bloom for garden effect is the object sought, | the plants have developed into active growth, and continued 
then four or five canes may be left three feet in length, and all | throughout the season, will keep them free of almost all insect 
very eld er weak growth cut away entirely. After the plants | pests, as well as fungous diseases. It may be necessary to sup- 
are through blooming, the canes should be shortened back at | plement this treatment with several applications of any tobacco 
least one-half to enable the plants to make a strong growth for | solution, or tobacco dust, for green-fly or aphis, which may ap- 
the next season of bloom. ; pear during the growing season. 
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