November, 1920 
able the green fly may further be kept in 
check by vigorously spraying the plants from 
time to time, as required. 
Another troublesome pest of outdoor Roses 
is the Rose hopper, or thrips. This insect is 
small, yellowish white, about three-twentieths 
of an inch long, and provided with a pair of 
transparent wings. It preys upon the leaves, 
working especially on the under side, caus- 
ing the foliage to assume a sickly yellowish 
appearance. The control of this insect is 
more difficult because of its active jumping 
and flying habits. Spraying the plants with 
water, so as to wet the under side of the 
leaves, and subsequently dusting them with 
powdered hellebore usually effects a suf- 
ficient control. 
Several kinds of caterpillars prey upon the 
Rose, sometimes causing considerable in- 
jury. All of them envelop themselves in the 
leaves or burrow in the flower buds. Pow- 
dered hellebore sprinkled over the plants pre- 
vents to a considerable extent the movements 
of the larvae, but removal is best accom- 
plished by actually picking them from the 
plants. 
Fungous Diseases. 
The mildew is perhaps the commonest 
disease of the Rose. Some varieties are 
seldom attacked and certain locations are 
much more subject to it than others. The 
disease generally makes its appearance in the 
autumn, when the nights begin to grow cool. 
At this season, however, it works but little 
harm, as the plants have made their growth 
and the wood is nearly or quite ripened. A 
mixture of equal parts of quick lime and 
sulphur, applied when the dew is on the 
plants, will usually prevent mildew. The 
following solution has been used success- 
fully : one ounce of copper carbonate, one 
pint of ammonia, and ten gallons of water. 
Plants should be sprayed with this mixture 
once a week, using a nozzle giving a fine 
spray. 
Winter Protection. 
The work of protecting Roses against the 
severe cold of the winter should be done by 
November 20. The earth should be heaped 
up around each plant to a depth of from two 
to three inches in order to provide drainage 
away from the center of the plant, and 
from four to six inches of straw manure 
should be placed over the entire surface of 
the bed. This treatment will protect any of 
the varieties previously mentioned, except 
the tree, or standard Roses. These are 
budded at the crown and unless wrapped 
with hay or straw, freeze very easily. 
Pruning. 
One of the most important considerations 
in Rose culture is that of pruning. No direc- 
tions can be given which will be sufficiently 
explicit to enable one to know just what to 
do in each individual case ; practical experi- 
ence alone can furnish this information. 
But the general principles that should be 
observed in pruning can be readily stated. 
As regards tools, a pair of good shears and 
a pruning knife with hooked blade are de- 
sirable. The work can be more quickly and 
easily done with the former, but where a 
very smooth cut is to be made, the pruning 
knife is preferable — also because it is less 
likely to bruise the bark. 
All pruning should be done while the 
plants are dormant. The chief objects to be 
held in view in pruning Roses are : the pro- 
duction of a symmetrical plant, and the. 
promotion of flower bud formation. To 
secure these results plants of delicate habit 
and weak growth should be severely pruned. 
Vigorous growers, on the other hand, should 
have the shoots only moderately shortened, 
but the branches well thinned out. In all 
cases the cut should be straight across the 
stem in order to expose a minimum amount 
of wounded surface, and care should be 
taken that the top bud which remains points 
T5[)<i Slower (Brower 
outward. Climbing Roses require no prun- 
ing beyond cutting out the very old and 
dead wood and shortening the laterals, ex- 
cept the trimming which may be necessary 
to make the plants conform in shape to a 
particular arbor or trellis. The tendency 
seems to have been towards over pruning. 
How to Plant Your Roses. 
By Christine Emery. (Wash.) 
[ Written expressly for The Flower Grower . ] 
Important as the selection of varie- 
ties undoubtedly is the most decisive 
step in Rose growing is the selection 
of location and the preparation of the 
beds. All of this work should be well 
under way, if not entirely done, be- 
fore the plants are ordered. 
First of all an open situation should 
be chosen, making sure that they are 
placed beyond the range of the feeding 
roots of large trees, that they will get 
plenty of sunshine and yet be sheltered 
from harsh winds or an otherwise 
bleak exposure. Select the mildest 
place in the garden for your choice 
Roses, not because they are tender and 
need constant protection, but rather 
for the positive assurance that they 
will repay more liberally than any 
other garden flower for any advantage 
or attention that is given them. 
Hardy perennials and native shrub- 
bery adapt themselves so willingly to 
the more exposed and shaded locations 
that we need have no hesitancy in giv- 
ing the best of our space to the Roses. 
The ideal Rose soil is a clay loam 
with a good drainage. Heavy soil may 
be lightened and made porous with 
sand, fine gravel, charred wood or coal 
ashes. 
If you would produce prize winning 
Roses the soil should be excavated to 
a depth and width of approximately 
thirty inches, carefully reserving the 
loam and top dirt from that of the sub- 
soil. If the soil is a heavy clay put in 
a drainage layer of coarse rock, tin 
cans or other debris, for, as an old 
English gardener somewhat testily 
told a questioning employer, “ You 
would not thrive with your feet 
cramped in cold water all of the time, 
so why should you expect it of the 
Roses ?” 
On top of the layer of drainage place 
the sods, if any, that were taken from 
the beds, turning them grass side 
down, and over them spread a thick 
layer of well rotted stable fertilizer, 
preferably cow manure, bringing it up 
to within a foot or so of the ground. 
Take a small portion of the top soil 
that has been set aside and mix it well 
with an equal amount of the fertilizer. 
Partially fill the remaining space with 
this mixture, then cover it with about 
two inches of clear top soil, thus mak- 
ing sure that the roots of the Roses 
will not come in direct contact with 
the fertilizer. 
As the root soil should be especially 
prepared we will take the remainder 
of the top soil, the portion that was 
directly under the sod, and add to it 
one-third of its bulk of bone meal. 
Mix this thoroughly and fill the trench 
with the meal enriched soil, rounding 
it up in “crown fashion” until the top 
181 
of the trench is at least three inches 
above the surrounding earth. 
Upon arrival, Roses should be un- 
packed in a shady place and all labels 
verified. Prior to planting set the 
plants in a tub or trough partially 
filled with water that the thirsty roots 
may be given new vigor. Remove them 
from the water and place them directly 
in the soil. 
The old earth line is a reliable guide 
and the new planting should be made 
fully one inch deeper than they stood 
in the nursery rows. 
All plants should be well tamped or 
trodden down into the soil. This is 
where experienced and apparently 
stoical gardeners set a wise example 
for the novice, for thorough and in- 
stant contact with the soil can be estab- 
lished in no other way, so if you would 
fulfil your visions of rows of gorgeous 
bloom do not fail to “put the weight of 
your foot” firmly and unmistakably 
about the roots of the newly set plants. 
When they are well trodden, cover 
the packed soil with a two inch mulch 
of loose and friable soil. 
Wire bound labels should be detached 
at planting time that they may not 
impede the growth of the canes or that 
the friction from them prove injurious. 
Twelve inch sections of wooden lath 
on which the name is printed may be 
driven into the ground beside the bush 
and make very satisfactory markers, 
especially when the planting covers a 
large area, although small slips of 
wood marked with an indelible pencil 
are generally all that the average Rose 
grower needs, and these are used pri- 
marily for the education of the visitors 
within his domain. 
For those who are planting a Rose gar- 
den and making their selections largely 
by color the following list of reliable 
varieties is sure to prove satisfac- 
tory : 
Red Roses — General McArthur, Hugh 
Dickson, Ulrich Brunner, (that close 
rival so often grown as The American 
Beauty,) Lady Battersea and /. B Clarke. 
White Roses — Frau Karl Druschki, 
White Cochei, White Ki llarney. 
Pink Roses — Mme. Caroline Teslout, 
Viscountess Folkstone, Admiral Dewey, 
Mrs. Wakefield, Mme. Segond Weber, 
and Christopher Miller. 
Yellow Roses— Progress, Harry Kirk, 
Mrs. Aaron Ward, Mrs. Waddell, Lady 
Hillingdon, Mme. Melaine Soupert, 
Mme. Ravary, Joseph Hill and Duchess 
of Wellington. 
Single Roses— Irish Fireflame, Irish 
Elegance and Austrian Copper. 
Climbing Roses— A Iberic Barbier, Dr. 
Van Fleet, Climbing Testout. 
Climbing Cecil Brunner — Mme. Al- 
fred Carriere. 
Special Rose — Los Angeles as grown 
in its pink and gold glory on sturdy 
stems is the one special Rose which 
should be in every garden. 
It would seem that the proportion of 
bone meal, 25% for the root soil as 
recommended, would make a very 
strongly fertilized soil, but as the 
quantity of soil used in this way would 
not be much, it would perhaps be per- 
missible. — Editor. 
