PRUOTXG, TRAINIXG, AND BEDDING. 



93 



CHAPTER V. 

 PRUNING, TRAINING, AND BEDDING. 



In pruning roses at the time of transplanting, the prin- 

 cipal object to be attained is relief to the plant by taking 

 away all the wood and branches w^hich the diminished 

 root may not be able to support. The mode of pruning 

 depends very much upon the condition of the plant. If 

 it is very bushy, all the w^eaker branches should be cut 

 away, leaving not more than three or four of the strong- 

 est shoots, and shortening even those down to a few eyes. 

 If it is desired that the plant should continue dwarf and 

 bushy, the new wood should be cut down to the lower 

 two eyes, and every half-grown or slender shoot cut out. 

 These two eyes will each throw out a branch ; then cut 

 these branches down to the two eyes, and again cut back 

 the shoots they produce until a symmetrical habit is 

 formed, with close, thick foliage. There should not be 

 sufficient wood allowed to remain to make the bush 

 crowded ; and if there should be danger of this, some of 

 the branches, instead of being cut down to two eyes, 

 should be removed altoo'ether. 



Climbing roses, w^hen planted, should be cut down al- 

 most to the ground, and also carefully thinned out. Only 

 a few of the strongest branches should be preserved, and 

 the new wood of these cut down to two eyes each. 



The preceding remarks are applicable to roses at the 

 time of planting ; they should also be pruned every year, 

 — the hardy varieties in the autumn or winter, and the 

 more tender in the spring. For all roses that are not lia- 

 ble to have part of their wood killed by the cold, the 

 autumn is decidedly the best time for pruning ; the root, 

 having then but little top to support, is left at liberty to 

 store up nutriment for a strong growth the follow^ing 

 season. The principal objects in pruning are the removal 



