W. R. GRAY, OAKTON, FAIRFAX COUNTY, VIRGINIA 
do it. Usually with a thunder shower. 01 course the thunder is not strictly necessary, but 
you will see that She uses plenty of water and your rose bed is soaked. So when real dry 
weather comes and you have to resort to artificial watering, go about it in the same way and 
]jour water on them until they cry enough. 
Lest you be mistaken dig down and see how far the water has soaked, iierhaps you will be 
surprised to find that it is only an inch or two, which is not enough. 
As soon as the bed dries out after rain, or being watered, so the soil is in a mellow condition 
and will crumble in the hand, use the hoe vigorously and frequently. “By the way, no grass 
should grow nearer than two feet to any rose bush.” 
Do not use water again until the soil begins to look quite dry and you are sure that the 
plants are in need of water, then soak them as before; if you have not a good supply of water 
extra cultivation and hoeing will make watering less necessary. 
The following diseases and insect enemies are the ones you are most likely to be troubled with, 
but they are very seldom a serious menace to rose growing. Mildew, which has somewhat the 
appearance of a fine white powder on the roses, sometimes occurs in early summer and is due to 
conditions of the weather, and not to any condition of the plant when you get it. There is not 
much to be done for it but to dust on dry powdered sulphur, and it will usually pass off without 
any serious damage. 
Any Fungus disease of the foliage which usually causes dark or black spots to appear, may be 
checked with Bordeaux mixture or any of the preparations sold for tlic purpose, if you cannot 
get these preparations, make a spray with one pint of ammonia and three ounces of carbonate of 
copper to twenty-five gallons of water. 
Green lice and plant lice frequently cause some trouble but arc easily checked with any solution 
of tobacco, or the tobacco soap that wc sell for tlie purpose. Any slugs or smaller worms which 
attack the foliage are best killed with powdered Helebore dusted on in the morning while the plants 
are moist with dew. The rose bug which eats the blooms and foliage in early summer is rather 
difficult to kill with any poison, and should be picked off by hand. 
Time to Plant. The best time to plant Roses is in early spring. Two- and three-year-old 
plants should be set out as early as the soil can be prepared, even if severe frosts may follow, they 
usually will do better than if planted later, but for those who are unable to plant early I have 
plants in pots so they may be shipped at any time; these have been dormant all winter but will 
be in full foliage after about the middle of April. The mailing-size plants, however, should not 
be set out until after danger of frost is over. Except in the most northern states, Roses may be 
planted in the fall, and will start earlier and make a better growth than those set out in the spring; 
they should, however, have good protection during the first winter. 
Pruning. Two- and three-year-old Rose bushes should be cut back within 6 or 8 inches of 
the ground as soon as they are planted; some growers practice pruning them to the third or fourth 
leaf-bud. The shoots should be watched and pruned as required during the growing season, care 
being taken to prevent long canes from outgrowing others and giving a straggly appearance to the 
bush. A good general rule is to cut back each shoot to half its length after it has bloomed. 
Winter Protection. The purpose of winter protection is not so much to keep the wood 
from freezing as it is to prevent it from alternate freezing and thawing. In the latitude of Wash- 
ington all that is necessary is to cover the bed with .3 or 4 inches of leaves or other mulch. Farther 
north it is well to cover the canes to a depth of 5 or 6 inches, and in exposed locations it is well to 
protect them with corn-stalks or evergreen boughs. 
The safest protection for very tender varieties or in severe climates is to bank up with earth 
about the stems to eight inches or a foot, then tie the tops with straw or other light material, then 
if the top should freeze above the earth banking it may be cut away and you have enough buds 
below the earth to make a good plant again. 
It is not well to cover roses with leaves or any such material in such quantity as to hold 
moisture about them as they may rot entirely and are often better without any covering. 
Frau K. Druschki is a variety that is usually given too little pruning. If properly grown 
there should be straight canes of new growth by the first of July six feet in height. These should 
be cut down at that time to two feet. As a result you will have a much larger quantity of bloom 
during the fall. This rule will apply also to a number of varieties that make similar growth. 
Practically all my roses are grown on their own roots. I believe these are best for amateur 
planters, as all the growth that comes from the roots or any part of the plant is the same, which 
is not so with budded plants. I can supply budded plants to those who want them. 
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