mertca^r 



in water; if the stems have dried out, bury the whole plant, after soaking the 

 ball, in damp earth for several days. This treatment may put them in good 

 condition, while, if they are planted when dried out, there is more danger of 

 their dying. 

 Planti no" When ready to plant, unpack the plants in a shaded place, 



si protected from the wind. Keep the roots covered with damp 



burlap, moss or other material until the actual moment of planting; spring winds 

 are so drying that fatal damage may occur through a few moments of exposure. 

 Do not set the plants too deep or too shallow. If planted too deep, the stems will 

 rot off; if too shallow, the plant will grow spindling, will dry out too soon, and 

 high winds will cause them to sway, breaking the roots. It is a good rule to plant 

 them just a little deeper than they formerly grew, with upper roots one or two 

 inches under ground. Make the hole in which the plant is to be set large enough 

 so that the roots can be spread out naturally. Plants with cramped roots never 

 do so well as those that have plenty of root-room when planted. Use plenty of 

 water when planting, to work the soil in among the roots. As the soil is being 

 thrown in about the ball, pour in a pailful of water. When the hole is almost 

 full, pour in another pailful, then set the next plant. In three or four hours, 

 when the surplus water has drained away, finish filling the hole with soil and 

 TRAMP the earth firmly about the plant. The after-cultivation consists of 

 frequently stirring the surface soil to maintain a dust mulch — about once a week 

 and as soon as possible after each rain will be sufficient. 



Enemies of the Rose ^ e pr * ce °* P er ^ ect flowers is eternal vigilance, 

 ' for there are many insect pests and plant 

 diseases that must be fought constantly. The worst enemy is the Rose beetle, 

 which is particularly severe on sandy soils. Damage from this pest can be greatly 

 lessened by spraying every two weeks through June and early July with arsenate 

 of lead at the rate of one pound to ten gallons of water. In seasons when only 

 a few appear, hand-picking may be resorted to. If the arsenate of lead is applied to 

 the under side of the leaves it will also hold the Rose slug in check. The presence 

 of this insect will be recognized by the skeletonized leaf. Aphis attack the plants 

 during May and June, but damage from this source can be obviated by spraying 

 with Thompson's Rose Nicotine, or with kerosene emulsion. This latter insecti- 

 cide, strange as it may seem, acts as a fungicide, preventing mildew, one of the 

 bad Rose pests. 



Leaf-spot, mildew, rust and other fungous diseases can be held in check or 

 prevented by spraying every two weeks with Bordeaux mixture, or, if you object 

 to the grayish green spotting of the leaves, use an ammoniacal copper carbonate 

 solution, or apply Grape Dust (see p. 34). 



Cultivate the garden once a week up to the middle of July to maintain a dust 

 mulch on the bed, so as to conserve soil moisture. After that a mulch of well- 

 decayed manure, in which no heat will generate, may be given the bed. 



In the fall, upon the approach of heavy frosts, protect the plants by giving 

 them a mulch about the stems. This may easily be done by piling soil up around 

 the stems to the depth of five or six inches. In the case of the Teas and Hybrid 

 Teas, it will also be wise to protect the stems by straw, but this should not be done 

 until after the ground has frozen; then the ground mice will have provided 

 themselves with homes for the winter. The straw can either be tied about each 

 plant, or the canes bent down and the whole bed covered with straw. 



The best protection against insect attacks is vigorous health. Roses that 

 are full of vigor are seldom full of bugs! Therefore, keep your Roses healthy 

 and happy. 



Pruning" ^ you ^ ave bought tw0_ or three-year-old plants, cut them back 



al rather severely at the time of planting — to three or four buds 



on the Hybrid Perpetuals and about six on the Teas and Hybrid Teas. Always 

 Cut the stem just above a bud that points out, never above one that points toward 

 the center of the plants. The term bud or eye is used to define the places on the 

 stem where leaves will be produced. They are easily distinguished, as they look 

 like small, pointed warts on the stems. If the plants are in leaf when planted^ 

 THE ABOVE DOES NOT APPLY. The crop of flowers on the Rose plants is 

 largely governed by the kind of pruning the plants receive. In fact, other con- 

 ditions being ideal, the pruning determines the quantity and the size of the flowers. 

 The Hybrid Perpetuals and other hardy and Climbing Roses should be pruned 

 in March, if weather permits, by the middle of the month. The tender Roses, 

 the Teas and Hybrids, need not be pruned until along in April, when the sap 

 begins to flow and the buds begin to swell, for, at this time, dead and weak wood 

 may be much more easily distinguished and cut out than earlier in the season. 



