124 



Arthur T.Bodding ton, 342 West 14th St.. New York City 



A Few Hints on Outdoor Rose Growing' 



BY AN EXPERT 



ARRIVAL OF PACKAGE.— Immediately the package 

 containing the roses arrives, it should be taken to a cellar or 

 sheltered place, where the drying winds cannot penetrate, to be 

 carefully unpacked. The plants should be taken from the bundle 

 and the roots and tops thoroughly sprinkled with water, after 

 which they may be covered with a sack or mat until they are 

 planted. Should the weather be wet and the soil unfit to receive 

 them, it is best to open a trench, lay the plants in thickly, cover- 

 ing the roots well with soil until the weather be fine and soil 

 suflFiciently dry to tread upon. If planting is being performed 

 during a dry wind or sunny day it will 

 benefit the plants, before taking them 

 from the shelter in which they were 

 unpacked, to dip the roots of each plant 

 in a thick puddle made of clay and 

 water ; this will cover the fibrous roots 

 with a coating sufficient to protect 

 them from tlie most severe winds. 



FROSTS.— Should frost set in after 

 the receipt of plants so as to prevent 

 planting, the roses on arrival should 

 not be opened, but rolled up in a mat 

 or straw and put away in a dry house 

 where there is no heat. The plants, 

 whicti are always carefully packed be- 

 fo*'e leaving will, when so treated, keep 

 safely for one month. 



DELAY OF PACKAGE.— It oc- 

 casionall}- happens through negligence 

 on the part of express companies that 

 packages containing plants are unduly 

 delayed, and instances may occur when 

 some of the plants may have become 

 shriveled. In such cases, lay the 

 shriveled plants quite flat in the bottom 

 of a trench in the ground, similar to 

 that prepared for celer\-, cover them 

 entirely (both roots and tops) with 

 soil which has received a good soaking 

 with water, and allow them to remain there for three days. At 

 the expiration of that period uncover and take them out, when 

 it will be found that the wood and buds have regained their 

 normal condition. 



SOIL. — That which is especially adapted to the rose is a 

 deep soil of a greasy nature. Where this is not to be had, and 

 the soil is light, add either clay or loam in addition to manure. If 

 heavy clay, some burnt earth, sand or leaf mold should be added. 



SITUATION AND PREPARATION OF GROUND.— 

 A place sheltered from hij;h winds (open, and not surroundetl 

 by trees, as closeness is liable to cause mildew), and apart from 

 other flowers, should, if possible, be assigned to them ; a south, 

 southeastern or southwestern position is best, the beds being 

 situated so as to receive the morning sun. Oblong beds, not over 

 four feet, are preferable, as the flowers may be cut or examined 

 withfiut going off the path or grass. The rose will not thrive in 

 a stagnant soil, so that if drainage does not naturally e.Nist it 

 must be provided. If it is not convenient to use tiks, a layer 



'While iiab; Kamblei, Catharine Siemeth (page loi) 



of broken stones six to nine inches deep or any other coarse 

 material will answer the purpose. This done, the soil should 

 be dug or trenched to a depth of at least eighteen inches, mix- 

 ing plenty of manure, made very much like a sandwich, with 

 alternate layers of manure and earth. 



PLANTING may be .safely continued until April. Great 

 care must be taken to avoid deep planting. In case of dwarf 

 roses, place the union of the stock w ith the bud two inches 

 beneath the soil. Each root should be laid out carefully, taking 

 care that two roots do not cross each other or coil round ; this 

 is very important for the well-being of 

 plants. The roots of standard roses 

 require similar treatment, and must be 

 placed about five inches below the sur- 

 face. Do not put the manure on the 

 bare roots, but first place some fine soil 

 over them, after which manure maybe 

 laid on. Tread firmly and spread some 

 coarse litter on the surface around the 

 plant as a protection from frost. Stand- 

 ards should be staked and any very long 

 shoots on the dwarf plants shortened. 



MANURING. — Cow manure is ad- 

 mittedly the best. It is best to apply 

 surface dressing in the autumn for pro- 

 tection against frost, which should be 

 forked or hoed in during the early 

 spring. 



PRUNING.— It is best to prune early 

 in March (unless the plants are late 

 planted, when it should be deferred 

 until April). In all cases it is neces- 

 sary to cut away all weak or unripe 

 wood, leaving only the strong and well 

 matured. This, in the case of strong- 

 growing kinds, should be cut back to 

 five or six eyes; the weaker and shorter 

 grow ing must be pruned closer, only 

 leaving two or three eyes on each 

 shoot. This refers to hybrid perpetual, hybrid tea, and tea rose ; 

 the climbing and pillar sorts should not be cut back ; the tips 

 of the shoots should be taken off and the shoots thinned. 



WATERING.— Should the spring and summer prove dry, 

 watering is absolutely necessary, and, if liquid manure can be 

 had, so much the better. 



INSECTS.— Insects are very troublesome to the rose- 

 growtr. In spring, almost as soon as the plants begin to grow, 

 the caterpillar or rose grub attacks them; these can only be 

 destroyed by hand-picking. After this the greenfly makes its 

 appearance, which should be kept in subjection by spraying 

 the plants with the following mixture : —Take 4 ounces of 

 quassia chips, and boil them ten minutes in a gallon of soft 

 water, then strain it, and while cooling dissolve in it 4 ounces of 

 soft soap : to this may be added another gallon or two of water. 



MILDEW. Dust (lowers of sulphur over the affected parts 

 as soon as it ni.ikes its appearance. Anothi r good remedy is 

 sulphide of potassium, 'Xoz. to the gallon, ap|)lied with syringe. 



