as fine as possible, and also the manure should be 

 pulverized and not left in chunks if you wish to 

 obtain the best results. The selection of your bed is 

 a very important matter. Roses thrive best where 

 they can secure all the sun possible; that is, do not 

 plant them close to trees or shrubbery, as the roots 

 of these extend farther than the branches. Select, 

 if possible, an open situation, where the plants will 

 receive plenty of air and sunshine. It is not, how- 

 ever, necessary that they should receive sunshine 

 the entire day. A southeastern exposure is an ideal 

 one. They will, however, do well in other locations 

 if given the necessary care. Roses do better if they 

 are watered in the morning. 



Fertilizer 



This is a question we are frequently requested to 

 answer. Animal manure from one to two years old, 

 where it can be obtained, is the best. Cow manure 

 is generally preferred, and can be used in fresh con- 

 dition. Horse manure when new is very heating 

 and should not be used while in this condition, 

 except as a winter mulch. Hog, sheep and chicken 

 manure are also very useful. The last two, how- 

 ever, should be used sparingly. Ground bone is 

 beneficial, but should be secured as fine as possible, 

 and it should be used sparingly. The best method 

 is sprinkling a portion over the bed until the ground 

 is entirely covered, then with the use of a fork it 

 can be dug into the soil and thoroughly mixed. 

 Air slaked lime is also beneficial, about a cupful to 

 a plant scattered on the surface in early spring and 

 midsummer. A mulcting of cow stable manure is 

 very beneficial during the growing season. It helps 

 to retain the moisture during the dry season, as well 

 as a food for the roots. 



Planting 



As soon as the plants are received it is best to 

 immediately plant, yet if it is impossible to do this 

 the plant should be placed in a cellar or moderately 

 warm place and protected from the sun. Set them 

 upright to admit the free circulation of air. When 

 you receive them they will be wrapped in Sphagnum 

 Moss, which should be removed before planting, as 

 it is used only for protection. Water freely from 

 time to time. The roots should be covered with 

 soil or burlap and never allowed to become dry. 

 Soaking the roots in lukewarm water or thin mud 

 for an hour or two before planting to restore their 

 vitality is beneficial. Do not set the plants too shal- 

 low. They should be planted deeper than they were 

 growing in the pots before shipping. This can 

 easily be determined by an examination of the plant. 

 The roots of the plants should be spread out and 

 not cramped. If you receive them with the soil on 

 the roots in which they have been growing, do not 

 remove this soil, but simply loosen it if packed in a 

 hard ball. Give them as near a natural position as 

 possible. Use plenty of water after planting and 

 shade for a few days if the sun is hot with news- 

 paper or similar material, and if the season is a dry 

 one an occasional watering will be beneficial. The 

 best time to plant Roses such as we send out, being 

 pot-grown, own-root stock, is in early spring. This 



refers entirely to pot-grown plants and not dormant 

 plants. By dormant plants we mean field-grown, 

 that is, lifted from the field and have not made any 

 growth whatever. Such plants as these should be 

 set out earlier than pot-grown plants. 



Pruning 



As a rule, the Roses that we send out do not need 

 any pruning, being pot-grown plants. However, if 

 the bushes are more spreading than is desired, it 

 does not injure the plant any to prune it back. This 

 applies only to the pot-grown plants. Pruning can 

 be done at any season of the year with a certain 

 class of Roses, but it is a matter to be governed by 

 the judgment of the possessor of the plants. The 

 best time for pruning is early spring, just before 

 they begin to break at the eyes. Then it is well to 

 trim Roses back to about one-third to one-half the 

 season's growth. The larger and heavier the growth 

 the more it should be trimmed. 



Winter Protection 



The protection necessary to keep Roses safely 

 through the winter months depends entirely upon 

 the character of the plant and the location. For 

 such Roses as the Hybrid Perpetuals, Rugosas, Har- 

 rison's Yellow, etc., very little protection, if any, is 

 necessary in any climate, yet it is beneficial in the 

 cold latitudes of the North to give them protection 

 of strawy horse stable manure after the first hard 

 freeze. The soil itself as a good protection. When 

 protecting the Teas and Hybrid Teas it is a good 

 plan to mound the earth about each plant, or use 

 clean sand about six inches deep, then fill in between 

 the mounds with strawy stable manure, the coarser 

 the better. The uncovered tops may be tied up 

 with straw or burlap. We would not suggest the use 

 of leaves, as oftentimes mice make their home there 

 and destroy the plants through the winter. This 

 protection should be gradually removed in March 

 in the latitude of Philadelphia, or as soon as all 

 danger of hard freezing is over. The tender Roses 

 may also be wintered in boxes or pots of soil in a 

 cool cellar or heeled in (the earth itself). Where 

 you have a dirt floor two or three waterings will be 

 required during the winter, just sufficient to prevent 

 drying out. 



Diseases and Insects 



MILDEW — This disease very frequently attacks 

 the foliage of Roses, especially the Crimson Ram- 

 bler. It is shown by a grayish crinkling appearance 

 of the leaves and usually occurs after a change in 

 the temperature. It can be checked to a certain ex- 

 tent by sprinkling the leaves with powdered sulphur 

 immediately after its appearance. If, however, this 

 does not check it, dissolve one ounce of potassium 

 snlphuret in two gallons of cold water and apply 

 a fine spray. 



GREEN FLY OR APHIS — A green sucking 

 insect which usually gathers in great numbers upon 

 the tips of the new growth. A solution of tobacco 

 made from tobacco insecticide soap, which you will 

 find offered elsewhere in this book, will exterminate 

 them. 



