176 



THE CENTURY BOOK OF GARDENING. 



The cutting Briar is the most useful of all dwarf stocks, as it will suit all Roses and 

 soils ; but it is, unfortunately, the worst to transplant. If seedlings are used, the tap root 

 must be cut back when planting for budding, and again when lifting the maiden plants previous 

 to placing them in their permanent quarters. The Briar is a stock that can scarcely be 

 surpassed, and is now far more generally used than all the others combined. De la Grifferaie 

 is a rank grower, and suitable for a heavy soil and for climbers. 



SOILS AND MANURES. — Almost any soil will grow Roses, provided a proper selection 

 of varieties be made and attention given to the application of suitable manures. Of 

 course, Roses enjoy a rich soil, but to keep adding cow, horse, and pig manures upon a 

 naturally rich ground is not so beneficial as a change to nitrate of soda in the case of light 

 soils, or soot for those that are naturally very close and stiff. This subject is, 

 therefore, more a question of judicious manuring than selection. Roses are brought from a wide 

 area, as the exhibitors' cards at any of the National Rose Society's exhibitions reveal. 

 It is not unusual for all three countries to be represented. As a matter of fact, at the 

 Crystal Palace Rose Show of 1897 no less than thirty counties sent Roses for competition, 

 and in many cases the soils in these differed to a remarkable extent. The golden rule is 

 to add what the ground is most deficient in, and never to apply close, moisture-retaining 

 manures to a soil that is naturally stiff and moist. A very dry and sandy compost may 

 easily be made suitable by adding a few loads of stiff loam and clay, also by manuring 

 with pig manure ; while, by adopting the opposite plan, a stiff, poor soil may be worked 

 into equally good condition. The ideal material is fairly stiff, not too wet, and not less than 

 3ft. to 4ft. in depth. This can be enriched at will. 



ENEMIES AND DISEASES. — These probably afflict the Rose as much as any other plant, 

 and some of them are serious plagues. Among insects are the aphis or green-fly, scale, 

 thrips, red spider, maggot and grubs, caterpillars, weevils, beetles, and the larva? of 

 the stem-boring saw-fly. In diseases, the worst are mildew, red rust, orange fungus ( 

 canker, ind a fungus known as Actinonema rosae. The last is very prevalent in some 

 years, seldom appears before autumn, and consists of dark' purplish brown spots, which 

 soon spread all over the leaf. It spreads rapidly, and will in a short time denude the trees 

 of all foliage. The first leaves should be picked off and burnt as soon as affected. 



Mildew is by far the worst of the diseases. It is a grey, dust-like fungus, forming 

 upon young foliage and growth in the first place, and soon causing the whole to shrivel. It 

 will sometimes completely ruin the prospects for a season. Experience has proved that it 

 is generally brought on, and certainly much encouraged, by draughts and sudden atmospheric 

 changes. In fact, extremes of any description are almost certain to develop mildew. Many 

 solutions have been tried, but the recipe given at the end of this section is generally 

 acknowledged as being the safest and most effectual. Still, no remedy will be of permanent 

 service unless one seeks the cause of this disease, therefore one must look to that point 

 at the same time as applying the solutions. 



Red rust and orange fungus are supposed to be periodical conditions of the same 

 disease. Orange fungus is a small, wart-like excrescence covered with a powder of a 

 deep orange colour. It does little, if any, harm in this stage, but when the spores develop 

 into red rust the matter is more serious. Red rust soon causes the leaves to look as 

 if ripening prematurely, and to become parched and brown, soon falling off, almost as if a sharp 

 frost had occurred in the autumn. There is no known cure for this, and it is fortunate 

 that our beautiful autumn- flowering Teas and Noisettes, also the Rugosa funds, and a few 

 more, are not affected with its ravages. It seldom appears before autumn, and is equally 

 as prevalent upon all stocks and soils, and during seasons of opposite character. 



Canker has most effect upon Marechal Niel, William Allen Richardson, and a few 

 more ; but it also affects other varieties when grown upon unsuitable stocks, several of 

 the Hybrid Perpetuals and Teas quickly showing symptoms of its presence if upon the 



