THE AUTUMN WORK 
267 
there is not much to be done to them until late in 
November, when a heavy winter covering will be 
spread over the ever-blooming ones. Timothy is 
raking the fallen leaves in piles, not to burn as bon- 
fires, however, but to use in forming protection for 
tender roots. 
Mr. Hayden will send one of his gardeners to 
help me cut back the roses this year, for, being so 
inexperienced in this work, I fear I might trim 
them either too much or too little. Miss Wiseman 
advises me to follow her rule, in which case she 
says “all will be well.” 
In November she cuts her hardy roses back to 
about two feet in height, and the monthly or ever- 
blooming ones she trims down to about a foot. 
Some day I shall perhaps see for myself how wise 
it is to cut back roses in the late autumn ; but now 
it seems to me a rather cruel thing to do, when all 
summer they have been striving so bravely to grow. 
I wonder what would really have happened to 
Aunt Amanda’s blush-rose bush if, during all the 
years gone by, it had been under the care of Mr. 
Hayden’s gardener. The roses might have been 
larger, but surely they could have smelt no sweeter, 
and perhaps the bush would not have lived so' long. 
I have other thoughts about roses, which I shall 
not write down, however, until I have watched the 
rose fan for several more seasons. In fact, I may 
only let them be known after I have become as 
