VI 



PRUNING 



93 



however, to make any varieties, which are not naturally 

 of flexible or pendulous growth, take this form success- 

 fully by bending them down. The summer climbing 

 Roses, such as the Ayrshire and evergreen classes, 

 should therefore be used for this purpose. The heads 

 should be vigorously pruned back the first year, or even 

 the second if the growth is not satisfactory, and when 

 the shoots reach the ground they should be thinned if 

 too many and tied to some supports the proper distance 

 apart. The pruning will afterwards consist of spurring 

 back the blossoming laterals, or occasionally taking 

 clean out a weakly branch and allowing another to fall 

 down in its place. 



Pruning for exhibition purposes is often quite a 

 different matter to pruning for decoration or display. 

 The object in this case is to get the finest possible 

 blooms, and to attain this end the exhibitor will not 

 care very much about the shape of his plants. If 

 number be required, then the plants must be multiplied, 

 as but few show flowers can be expected from each- 

 Pruning in this case loses most of its art ; only the 

 strongest shoots will be retained, and these will be cut 

 back very closely to two or three buds, while with weak 

 growers in some cases not more than one bud of new 

 wood will be retained. 



The further revision of the pushing buds and young 

 shoots, at the end of April or early in May, will in this 

 case be an important matter, requiring much care and 

 foresight. A good knowledge of the habit of growth 

 and of the "manners and customs" of the different 

 varieties will be necessary to know how many shoots 

 should be retained, and an extra strong one however ill 

 placed will be pardoned among the weaker varieties. 

 If injured by frost or grubs it must be decided as early 



