Showing where to prune 



Besides, it is an advantage to leave the mulch un- 

 disturbed until settled weather has arrived. At the 

 time of pruning, one must decide upon the kind of 

 crop wanted. If the very biggest and best FLOW- 

 ERS are wanted, then severe pruning is necessary 

 (see i below); if large crop of average.flowers, then 

 only moderate pruning (see 2 below); but, where 

 ^pf 4 quantity of bloom is preferred, only a little pruning 

 ! is necessary (see 3 below). 



When pruning Hybrid Perpetuals, first cut out the 

 weak wood and any branches that cross, then cut 

 back the strong canes to about six eyes, the top one 

 pointing out, and the cut being made one-quarter of 

 an inch above the bud. If you want only a few big 

 flowers, cut back to only three or four buds. For 

 the big outdoor display, leave four to seven canes 

 two-thirds their growth. The Teas and Hybrid Teas 

 will need the same attention, but there should be 

 as much or more wood left. This may not always 

 be possible, however, as the winter may have killed 

 the canes back too far. In that case, cut back to 

 live wood, even if down to the surface of the soil. 



These rules are modified somewhat by the char- 

 acter of the plant. The weaker-growing varieties 

 can be cut back farther than strong-growing sorts. 

 The strong-growing kinds, if cut back too heavily, 

 will run to wood, and in the case of some — Gloire 

 Lyonnaise, for instance —too heavy pruning may 

 kill the plant. 



The Bourbon Roses need but little pruning. Cut back the stems a few inches. 



This is also true of the Brier Roses, such as Harrison's Yellow and the 



RAMBLERS, which should not be pruned much in the fall or spring, BUT JUST 



AFTER THE FLOWERING SEASON, to produce wood for next season's bloom. 



Climbing and Pillar Roses need be cut back but one-third to one-fifth, and 



on old well-established plants, the old, enfeebled wood should also be taken out. 



A LITTLE TRICK to prevent the bare base of the branches: In straight 



branches, the sap goes to the top, leaving nothing for the buds at the base. Train 



the branches up crooked by putting sharp bends in the stems within two feet of 



the ground, and foliage will be produced the whole length of the stem. To get a 



second crop of flowers in the fall, cut eight to ten inches of wood with the flowers. 



Several Hybrid Perpetuals will also bloom in the fall with this treatment. See 



also below and the list of 101 Roses on pages 13 to 24 



IN THE FALL, extra-long canes will need to be cut back a little, and perhaps 

 tied to a stake or support, to prevent damage to the roots from swaying. 



HOW TO PRUNE (Key to pages 13 to 24) 



These notes may be considered as abbreviations to the chapter on pruning. 



1. HARD. — Thin out to the base all but from three to five shoots, and cut these 

 back so as to leave two to three eyes on each shoot. 



2. MODERATELY HARD.— Thin out as No. 1, and cut each shoot back to 

 about five to ten eyes. 



3. MEDIUM. — Thin out as No. 1, leave four to seven shoots; shorten these 

 shoots to about half their length. 



4. SPARINGLY. — Thin out as No. 1; leave four to seven shoots, which should 

 be merely tipped. 



5. THIN. — No pruning required; thin out annually. 



6. NONE. — No pruning required; thin out every two or three years, just to 

 keep the plant within bounds. 



7. Climbing, Pillar and all other Roses that are marked 7 can be improved 

 by thinning, when one or more of the old stems shows plainly that it is old 

 and past doing good service. This should not be necessary oftener than every 

 three years. Kinds marked + are more likely to need it than kinds marked — . 



None of the numbers cover the needs of such Roses as Mrs. Peary, Marechal 

 Niel, etc., where the climate is warm enough not to kill back the main stems. 

 In this case, the branches should be trimmed to two to ten eyes. 



X. Method to use to produce FINE SPECIMENS or large flowers. 



S. Method to use to produce SHOWY BUSHES or an abundance of flowers. 



