4 
A. B. DAVIS tfc SON, PURCELUVILLE, VIRGINIA, 
As gold among the precious mentals, and as the diamond compared with other 
gems so is the rose in its supremacy of loveliness among the flowers. Poets of all 
ages have sung of its regal beauty, and by universal consent it has been crowned 
Queen of the Floral Kingdom. They are now considered indispensable among 
winter flowers, and with a little attention they can be easily growm. The most im- 
portant point in the winter cultivation of roses is to have perfect drainage, and this 
IS best obtained by filling the pot, box or bench in which they are grown with 
broken pots or charcoal to within six inches of the top. With perfect draiiiage, 
such as this gives, half of the difficulties in rose growing are removed, and with the 
ordinary attention to watering and airing, success will follow, and a supply of flowers 
be secured at a season when they are valued the most. Roses will thrive in a tem- 
perature of fifty to sixty degrees. 
NOTES AND CULTURAL DIRECTIONS. 
~~ Preparation of Rose Bed.— Select a sunny spot not undermined by roots of 
trees and quite level with the grass-plot. Prepare your bed by digging to the 
depth of i8 inches. Any good garden mould will grow roses, but they are especially 
fond of small clods of clay in the soil. If the bed is not underdramed naturally, 
provide drainage by means of broken bricks and stones at the bottom. Add one- 
fourth old well-rotted cow manure to the soil and clay. Ground bone ranks next 
to old cow manure as a fertilizer, and may be used in place of it or in addition to it. 
Roses are rank feeders, and amply repay the food and moisture given them, both 
with luxuriance and elegance of foliage, and profusion and size of bloom. 
After the plants have been set out, which should be early in the season, keep 
the soil loose by frequent shallow stirrings, till the middle of June, when they shoud 
be mulched by covering the surface of the bed to the depth of an inch or so with 
old manure or any strawy material, to prevent evaporation. An occasional applica- 
tion of manure water greatly stimulates growth, and growth, with most roses, 
means bloom. 
Winter Protection.— North of the Ohio the everblooming roses require pro- 
tection during the winter. Remove a little earth from the side of the rose-bush, cut 
out all the tender growth, and strip off most of the leaves ; then bend the bush 
over and cover to a depth of three or four inches with loose earth; over these a light 
covering of boards or boughs. Any mode of protection is as good as this, provided 
it prevents sudden freezing and thawing, and does not hold moisture about the 
stem causing decay. A straw covering is apt to harbor mice. Do not cover to 
soon- wait until the plants are well matured and severe weather is beginning; 
light freezing will not hurt them. Uncover when the frost is leaving the ground, 
and Spring is fairly opening. Prune out all injured wood and level the earth. 
We make a specialty of the rose. We do not offer an extensive list of startling 
novelties but have tested every variety olTered on our list, and our customers may 
rely on our sending out good stock that will give satisfaction. We offer large plants 
