Roses 



CROMWELL GARDENS, CROMWELL. CONN. 



can be planted any time during the season. The ideal planting time, ho\vc%-er, is during the month of May, 

 when the plants will be received full of buds and ready to commence blooming. .\ny risks usually attending 

 the planting operations have been eliminated in the earlier preparation of the plants. When jilanting, the 

 ball of earth surrounding the roots should be placed about 2 '/i inches below the surface level of the soil, 

 the soil filled m level with the ball and carefully firmed. Water can now be applied and when thoroughly 

 saturated, the remaining soil filled in, firmed, and leveled. 



Some planters may prefer Roses grown on their own roots to plants budded or grafted on the hardy 

 Manetti or Brier roots. With the exception of the climbing Roses— and these are seldom budded— the 

 biidded or grafted plants are in every way superior. A few of the stronger-growing Hybrid Kemontants do 

 fairly well on their own roots, but these are rare exceptions. Many of the most desirable sorts are positively 

 worthless on their own roots, and there are none of the bedding Roses that will not do equalK- well, if not 

 better, when budded. The advantages of budded plants are main-: Thvy produce more and better flowers 

 the first year, as well as succeeding years; are more hardy, longer lived, and less suscejitible to disease. 

 If planted as directed, wild suckers will rareh- appear from the roots, but these will be readily detected by 

 the many reddish spines, or seven lea\-cs. and should at once be removed. 



Summer Culture. The Rose-bed should be cultivated often, every week or ten days until mid- 

 summer, and occasionally from then until frost. .A light syringing during the latter part of the day is 

 beneficial, and water should be applied during dry periods. This is best accomplished by drawing the 

 loose surface soil away from the plant, sufficient to form a saucer that will contain a gallon of water. This 

 should be filled two or three times, or until the water will not be immediately absorbed. Liquid manure 

 can be applied on these occasions until the flowers commence to open. The bed should be cultivated after 

 watering, just as soon as the soil can be worked freely. 



Insects. The most persistent insect pest is the green fly, or aphis. They appear early in the season 

 on the young growths, and as they draw their food from beneath the tender bark, a poisonous spray would 

 be ineffective, and a "contact" spray is necessary. One heaping tablespoonful of soft soap dissolved in 

 three gallons of water, to which is added a tablespoonful of Xico-Fume, will prove an infallible remedy. 

 Whale-oil soap is also effective, but it is disagreeable to use. 



Caterpillars, worms, or slugs are essentially eating insects and require a poisonous spray. Hellebore, 

 a heaping tablespoonful to two gallons of water, will be found fairly effective when applied with the syringe 

 or spray pump. Arsenate of lead solutions are also effective, but are undesirable, as they discolor the 

 foliage. _ The simple method of picking off the caterpillars in the early morning and dropping them in a vessel 

 containing a little kerosene is the most expeditious. 



Mildew. This fungous disease affects some varieties more than others. It will be recognized by a 

 powderj' coat appearing on the leaves, generally after the first crop of flowers has been removed and during 

 unfavorable weather. If permitted to establish, it is rather difficult to overcome. A solution of one ounce 

 of potassium sulphate, two heaping tablespoonfuls of soft soap, dissolved in two and one-half to 

 three gallons of water, is the most effective remedy. It should first be applied when the flower-buds are 

 ready to open and from then on through the season as the mildew appears. Applying sulphur in powdered 

 form is altogether ineffective. 



Winter Protection. All bedding Roses are greatly benefited by a winter covering; even the hardiest 

 will, if slightly covered, have greater vitality and respond with a more vigorous growth and freedom of 

 bloom. The best protecting material is soil. It should be drawn up around the plant to a height of 9 to 12 

 inches. After this is thoroughly frozen a generous covering of leaves or litter should be applied, the purpose 

 of which is to keep the frost in the ground, not out. It is the alternate freezing and thawing that winter- 

 kills. If the wood is frozen back to the point of protection no harm will be done, as the plant should be 

 cut back at least to this extent when pruned. Climbing Roses are sufficiently hardy to stand the usual 

 winter, but when planted in exposed locations it is safer to bend plant down to ground and cover with soil 

 and litter. 



Pruning. Too much stress cannot be laid on the necessity of severe pruning. This is the first essential 

 to success in Rose-culture, and results not only in better flowers, but does much to prolong the life of the 

 plant. 



Hybrid Remontants should be pruned as early in spring as the weather permits — not in fall. Thin out 

 all weak shoots and side growths, cut back the remaining wood to from two to eight eyes; in other words, 

 about three-fourths. A few exceptions: Margaret Dickson and Frau Karl Druschki will require lighter 

 pruning, leaving at least one-third of the previous year's growth. 



Hybrid Tea and Tea Roses: Strong-growing varieties require about the same treatment as the Hybrid 

 Perpetuals. Weak varieties can be cut nearly to the ground and produce excellent flowers in June. 



Dwarf or Bedding Polyanthas merely require thinning out the weaker center growths and pruning the 

 tips back lightly. 



Climbing Roses should not be pruned back hard. Cut out entirely any wood that is over two years 

 old. The remaining wood will be all good flowering material and should not be pruned back until after 

 flowering, when the removal of the poorer growths will materially help the new growths that flower the 

 following season. 



ROSE-GARDENS 



We have endeavored to give sufficient information on Rose-culture to assist the planter who desires 

 to grow Roses in limited quantities. If, however, you anticipate planting Roses on an extensive scale, or 

 laying out a Rose-garden, we urge you to consult an expert in this branch, one who is familiar with the 

 characteristics and habits of each variety, as there are many details to consider carefully. Varieties for 

 certain purposes and latitudes; the correct spacing of each kind; those that are best for garden decoration 

 and for exhibition purposes, etc. 



The hardy Rose is one of our specialties, and we will be pleased to furnish any information desired on 

 Rose-culture, or submit planting plans, specifications and estimates and, if desired, carry them to com- 

 pletion. This department is at your service. 



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