38 



ROSES 



growth should be entirely removed. This 

 will give a large number of flowers effective 

 in the mass, but small, and with short, weak 

 foot-stalks, scarcely able to support the weight 

 of the blooms and not effective as cut flowers. 

 This sort of pruning is entirely for outside 

 show. After the bloom is over the canes 

 should be shortened back at least one-half 

 so that the plant may make strong w T ood for 

 the next season of bloom. Plants pruned in 

 this way require strong stakes. 



If quality is desired, all weak growth 

 should be removed and every healthy cane 

 retained and cut back in proportion to the 

 development of each plant. The weakest 

 should not have more than four inches of 

 wood left on the root, while the strongest may 

 have eight or nine inches. 



The canes should be cut off about a quarter 

 of an inch above an outside bud, and care 

 must be taken that the wood is not torn nor 

 the bud bruised. The shoot growing from 

 the uppermost bud will usually be strong, and 

 will grow in whatever direction the bud 

 points. Therefore the highest bud left should 

 point toward the outside of the plant, that the 

 head may be open and light and air admitted. 



