214 



THE CENTURY BOOK OF GARDENING. 



plants to the height of Vin. or Tin. This will be found an efficient protection, for 

 although the upper part of these Roses may be destroyed by frost, the covering of earth will 

 preserve the crowns of the plants from injury, and fresh growths will spring up from the base 

 after the dead shoots have been cut away at pruning time. Standard Tea Roses are not so easily 

 protected, hut much may be done by placing a firm stake to each Standard and tying the shoots 

 to it, afterw ards covering them with a slight thatching of straw or bracken. This will not only 

 serve to protect them from frost, but will also prevent rain or snow settling in. the heads, which, 

 if followed by intense cold, is always so much more dangerous than when the shoots are 

 kept dry. 



PRUNING. — This naturally divides itself into two distinct operations: (i) Removing 

 th :■ useless shoots ; (2) Shortening back those shoots that remain. In the first place, all 



old, decayed, and weakly 

 shoots should be cut out 

 entirely with a sharp pruning 

 knife, also the pithy growths, 

 however strong. This having 

 been done, the pruning proper 

 is effected by cutting back the 

 sturdy, well-ripened shoots 

 that are left. To the beginner 

 the ruthless way in which an 

 exhibitor decapitates his 

 Hybrid Perpetuals appears 

 little short of murderous, for 

 an exhibitor thinks nothing of 

 cutting down his plants to 

 within a few inches of the 

 ground. And why is this ? 

 la france. Because he knows that the 



harder he cuts his plants the stronger will be the shoots that proceed from the few 

 remaining leaf buds. The Hybrid Teas should he less severely pruned. In the case 

 of the Teas the knife need only be sparingly used, just shortening hack to half their 

 length the shoots that remain after the dead and very pithy ones have been removed. 

 Jf the blooms be not required for exhibition, the shoots may he left rather longer than above 

 directed, especially in the case of the Hybrid Perpetuals. For whatever purposes exhibition 

 Roses are grown, the dead, the twiggy, and 1111 ripened or pithy shoots should be cut clean 

 out, also Liny wood more than two years old. However long or however short the remaining 

 shoots be left, care should be taken that the cut be made just above a dormant eye making 

 outwards. After a severe winter it will be only necessary to remove the injured growths, 

 and cut back' the few remaining shoots until sound wood be met with — that is to say, where 

 the pith of these shoots ceases to be discoloured, even if necessary below the surface of the 

 beds. As to tlie rime of pruning, this will depend to a certain extent on the locality, whether 

 an early or late one, but as a genera! rule this operation should be carried out at intervals 

 during March for the Hybrid Perpetuals and Hybrid Teas, leaving the Teas and Noisettes 

 to be dealt with in April. 



INSECT PESTS. — No sooner do the young shoots appear on the pruned plants and 

 begin to show a few leaves than insect pests of all kinds set about trying to destroy them. 

 The first to appear is usually the Rose maggot, accompanied by various caterpillars. These 

 enemies secrete themselves in the foliage, and would if not prevented soon destroy many of 

 the infant flower buds. There is only one remedy for such marauders, and that is to go 

 carefully over the plants every few days, remove them with the hand, and destroy them. 



