HOW TO GROW ROSES 
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. 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. 
Planting and Summer Care. While Roses may be grown in any good garden 
soil, they flourish much better in a rather heavy clay loam than they do in a light or 
sandy soil. They should not be planted near large trees or in a shady location. Care 
in preparation of the soil is repaid abundantly in rapid growth, health of the plants, 
and profusion of bloom. The be.st soil for Roses is that taken from old pasture and 
nii.xed with well-rotted manure, in the proportion of one part of manure to four parts 
of soil. Dig the bed out to a depth of two feet or more, and fill it with the mixture of 
soil and manure, first providing for drainage with a layer of stones or tile, if drainage 
is needed. When possible, make the beds several days before planting, to allow the 
soil to settle. At the time of planting it should be an inch below the level of the land. 
Beds should be not wider than 3K foot, to allow hoeing and cutting of the Howers 
without stepping on the bed. 
In planting, see that the soil is firm about the roots. Keep them well watered 
at first, and, if the plants are of the smaller sizes, shade them from the sun for a few 
days. Tea and Hybrid Tea Ro.ses may be set 18 inches apart, and Hybrid I’erpetuals 2 
feet apart, with both 8 inches from the edges of the beds. The soil should be kept stirred 
with the hoe constantly — every week is not too often — and if this is done, watering will 
be unnecessary. If the soil is not very rich, fine-ground raw bone may be applied each 
year at the rate of five pounds to the square yard. 
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. Climbing Roses require no pruning 
except to keep them within the desired bounds and to remove very old or dead wood. 
Winter Protection. The purpose of winter pro- 
tection is not so much to keep the wood from freezing 
as it is to prevent it from alternate freezing and thaw- 
ing. In the latitude of Washington 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. Tea Roses may be wintered successfully by 
covering them with a foot of leaves which are held 
on by poultry netting or evergreen boughs. The 
most tender kind of Roses generally may be carried 
through the severest winters if the canes are brought 
together, cut at the height of a foot or two, and wrapped 
with long straw tied at frequent intervals. In dry soil 
the earth may be hilled up about the bushes and oU'er 
the protection necessary. 
Herewith you will find money order for S2, on receipt of 
which please send me the enclosed list of Roses. Formei !>■ 
I have been a liberal patron of yours and always found 
perfect satisfaction; in fact, of all the ilorists I have 
dealt with in the past thirty years, your flowers have 
been the best. — R. L. W., Ramona, Cal. 
I want to thank you for the nice plants which came 
safely by express a few days ago. I have bought plants 
from many places, but none more satisfactory than yours. 
It is a pleasure to deal with such a house. — Miss R. S., 
Lexington. N. C. 
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