We have obtained better results from the mixture for which Admiral 
Ward kindly gave us the rule and which is included in his valuable 
booklet "One Year of Rose Work." This spraying is done to pre- 
vent anthrose, dying back at the cut. 
In 1914, a week or so after pruning, when the new growth was about 
an inch long, we loosened the earth about the roots. The second week 
after pruning, as there had been no rainfall, we gave the beds a thor- 
ough sprinkling as the young fibrous roots which had grown by this 
time had taken all the moisture from the soil, and were in need of a 
soaking. Three days after the soaking we broke the caked earth 
about the plants. This should be done after all artificial watering. 
Green flies appeared and we used Aphine, one part to 35, as a spray. 
For mildew, we used a cheesecloth bag filled with sulphur which we 
shook all over the affected varieties. If the mildew had persisted as it 
did this Spring, we would have sprayed with the alternate spray of cop- 
per solution and Fungine, which ordinarily we do not begin until later. 
We are now up to June when the buds were forming. We let the 
buds break to show color and then cut them, taking one leaf with the 
strong stems, two with the weak. We followed this Spartan course 
until September when the roots were well established. 
Rose bugs had besieged us by this time. We do not use arsenate 
of lead, Paris green, hellebore or any poisonous spray for they dis- 
figure the foliage. The heartless man of my jingle and the can filled 
with kerosene are the remedies we have chosen. 
The last week in June we began a preventive alternate spray 
every ten days of copper solution, one to one hundred, and fungine, 
one to fifty. This was to forestall possible mildew, black spot and 
loss of foliage. When a small amount of mildew appeared we used 
the sulphur bag. We picked the leaves affected by black spot and 
burned them for we hear that this is a contagious fungus. We were 
philosophical when we saw a few leaves drop from the plants for we 
had done our utmost to prevent it. 
During July and August we covered our beds with stable litter, 
consisting largely of straw and with some manure. It prevented the 
summer heat from baking the earth and helped the beds retain the 
moisture. This sounds unattractive, but by this time very little 
black earth shows in our garden and we gained more food for the roots 
for the straw was raked off in September and the manure worked in. 
Many people are using peat moss now. We are open to conviction on 
this point. 
During September and October of that first year, 1914, we let a 
few blossoms mature and had our reward for our colorless Spring. 
