DREER'S SPECIALLY PREPARED 



Roses for the Garden. 



While many of our customers are familiar with the grade of Roses 

 which we send out, we wish to direct the attention of those who have 

 never planted our stock to the manner in which these plants are pre- 

 pared. The- bulk of our Roses are what are known as field-grown 

 plants; that is, the plants have been cultivated in fields during the 

 growing season of 1908. In fall they were carefully dug, planted 

 in pots and stored in cold greenhouses, where artificial heat is only 

 used to exclude severe frost. Under this treatment the plants develop 

 in the most natural way, and are much superior to stock which has 

 been forced in a high temperature into an unnatural and weakened 

 growth, and at the same time they must not be confounded with 

 the comparatively worthless Holland-grown Roses, which are sold 

 so cheaply in a dormant condition each season. Our Roses are 

 either home-grown or grown for us in England or Ireland by spec- 

 ialists who have made a life-study of the Rose, a very large per- 

 centage of the Hybrid Teas and Hybrid Perpetuals having been re- 

 ceived from the famous nurseries of Messrs. Dickson & Sons, Bel- 

 fast, Ireland. Most of these plants are budded or grafted, and while 

 some planters prefer stock grown on their own roots on account of 

 the liability of budded plants to throw up suckers, this will rarely 

 occur if the deep planting as directed below is followed, and if a 

 wild shoot should appear it is readily distinguished by its seven 

 small leaves instead of the usual five, and removed close to the root. 

 Much can be said in favor of budded plants, being more vigorous, 

 producing finer blooms, come into bearing sooner, and are just as 

 permanent and hardy as those on their own roots. 



HOW TO GROW ROSES. 



SITUATION. — Good Roses may be grown in almost any soil and 

 position; but if the highest quality is desired, it is necessary to select 

 an open, sunny position, sheltered from north winds, and clear ">f all 

 roots of trees and shrubs. 



PREPARATION OF THE BEDS.— Roses will grow and give 

 good returns in any fertile, well-drained ground ; but it is worth while 

 to use some care in the preparation of the beds, as the general health 

 of the plants, quantity and quality of bloom usually more than repays the 

 extra care expended on this detail. The best soil for Roses is sod 

 fro n an old pasture and well rotted cow manure. Dig out the 

 bed to a depth of two to three feet, and, if drainage is imperfect, 

 it must be provided for by putting six inches to a foot of broken 

 stones, cinders, or any rough material in the bottom. Fill in 

 with a mixture of soil and manure as above. It is best to make 

 the beds some time in advance of planting, to allow time for 

 settling. After the soil is settled, it should be about an inch 

 below the level of the adjacent surface; make the beds not over 

 three and a half feet wide, which enables you to pick the blooms 

 without stepping on the bed. 



PLANTING AND SUMMER CARE.— The ideal time 

 to plant is in the spring, just after danger from frost is past. 



Tea and Hybrid Tea varieties can be set 18 inches apart, Hy- 

 brid Perpetuals two feet apart, and both eight inches from the 

 edge of the beds. When the plants are supplied in pots, they 

 should be set so that the ball of earth is about two and one-half 

 inches below the level of the ground. Firm the soil well around 

 the plants, and give a thorough watering if the soil is dry. 

 Throughout the summer the surface of the bed should be culti- 

 vated weekly. If this is done, watering will be unnecessary. 

 There is no better mulch than dry, loose soil. 



PRUNING. — About the end of October, it is well to cut back 

 to about three feet all the canes of the strong-growing sorts. 

 This prevents them from being whipped by the winter winds, 

 which, unless staked, would loosen and break the tender feed- 

 ing roots. The principal pruning should be done in spring, be- 

 ginning with the Hybrid Perpetuals in March. 



If quantity of bloom for garden effect is the object sought, 

 then four or five canes may be left three feet in length, and 

 all very old or weak growth cut away entirely. After the 

 plants are through blooming, the canes should be shortened 

 back at least one-half to enable the plants to make a strong 

 growth for the next season of bloom. 



If quality is desired, all weak growth should be removed, 

 and the remaining canes cut back in proportion to their devel- 

 opment, the weaker ones to about four inches from the root, 

 and stronger ones eight to nine inches. All canes should be 



Climbing F 



cut off about a quarter of an inch above an outside bud. By 

 doing this, the plant will grow in an open head, as the buds 

 usually grow in whatever direction they first take. Roses, 

 pruned in this way, require no staking up, and will need no 

 summer pruning, the cutting of the flowers with good stems 

 being sufficient. 



Hybrid Tea and Tea sorts are best not pruned until they 

 show evidence of growth, indicated by the buds beginning to 

 swell. By that time dead or unhealthy wood is readily de- 

 tected, making it easy to see what should be cut away and 

 what should be retained. They do not need such severe 

 pruning as that described for the Hybrid Perpetuals, and all 

 wood that looks promising may be left on. 



Climbing Roses require no pruning beyond cutting out the 

 very old or dead wood and the shortening of the laterals and 

 canes to make the growth conform to the space to be covered. 



WINTER PROTECTION.— In the latitude of Philadel- 

 phia a covering of three or four inches of manure or leaves over 

 the entire bed is sufficient. In colder latitudes, draw the 

 leaves up around the stems six or eight inches higher, and in 

 very cold places earth them up and protect with corn stalks 

 or evergreen boughs. For Tea Roses a good plan is to put 

 a temporary fence of twelve-inch chicken wire netting around 

 the bed, filling in loosely with leaves, with a little earth or 

 some branches over all to prevent them from blowing away. 



ENEMIES. — When grown under favorable conditions, 

 Roses are not so apt to be attacked by insect pests and other 

 troubles as they are if half starved and otherwise neglected. 

 Among the most troublesome pests are the Rose Beetles. 

 Hand-picking seems to be the only remedy for this. Slugs,, 

 which eat away the leaves, are readily destroyed by a decoc- 

 tion of Powdered White Hellebore (two tablespoon fuls to a 

 bucket of boiling water) applied, when cool, with a whisk 

 broom or any sprayer that will reach the under side of the 

 leaves. The green fly or "Aphis" is quickly removed with 

 any of the tobacco solutions or Whale Oil Soap, or a mixture 

 of both. Powdered Sulphur is the best remedy for mildew,, 

 which should be dusted on when the plants are wet with dew. 



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