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THE RURAL NEW-YORKER Ma ^ 
Ruralisms 
Rose Ceremonials. —The rose is 
one of the most ancient of purely 
ornamental plants, and has doubt¬ 
less played its part in human cere¬ 
monials from the very dawn of 
civilization. In the classic ages of his¬ 
tory, it appears to have been less used 
than the bay or laurel—the symbol of 
victory—but it is constantly referred to 
in this connection in older writings. In 
modern times the rose is ever the prin¬ 
cipal feature in floral festivals and ex¬ 
hibitions. A garden without roses or 
a decoration without roses lacks its 
greatest charm. The rose is utilized in 
ceremonials to express very diverse 
sentiments, as instanced by the annual 
tender of a red rose as payment for 
the rent of an ancient church in Man- 
heirn, Pa., a custom observed jvith 
much ceremony, for the past century, 
and the setting adrift at Trenton, X. J., 
of a rose-laden boat every June 1, to, 
be later towed to sea and abandonc L 
to the waves. The Manheim church 
was built by a wealthy German gen¬ 
erations ago. and perpetually leased to 
the congregation on the sole condition 
of the annual payment of a double red 
rose to his heirs or successors. This 
payment is scrupulously carried out the 
first Sunday of each June, and is the 
subject annually of much picturesque 
description in local newspapers. The 
Trenton custom is more recent, and 
originated in the desire to commemo¬ 
rate the soldiers and sailors lost at sea 
during naval engagements during our 
various wars. The rose boat is 15 feet 
long, strongly built to withstand buffet¬ 
ing by ocean waves and is modeled like 
a modern warship with turret, portholes 
and all accessories. It is ballasted 
with cement and armored with bright, 
tin plate, everywhere covered with 
roses. It forms a conspicuous feature 
of Memorial Dav parade and next day, 
with fresh floral decorations, is set 
adrift in the Delaware River. A fleet 
of yachts bearing members of • the so¬ 
ciety of the Grand Army of the Re¬ 
public convoy it to Camden, where it 
is taken in charge by a U. S. Gov¬ 
ernment tug, towed far out into the 
ocean and abandoned to the winds and 
currents. Several of the boats sent 
out in previous vears have been heard 
of. One was recovered near the coast 
of Spain, one went ashore on the coast 
of Greenland and a third was picked 
up at the entrance of the harbor of 
Galveston, Tex., during a rally of the 
Grand Army at that place. 
A Blue Rose. —The blue rose has 
hitherto been unattainable; though ar¬ 
dently desired bv those not really fa¬ 
miliar with the characteristics of this_ 
unsurpassable flower. Yellow we have 
and red in everv shade from glorious 
fiery crimson to palest blush, and the 
purest of whites. Blackish maroons 
and deep purples also occur, but as blue 
approaches the tints become muddy and 
disagreeable. It is a law of floral col¬ 
oring that the primary colors, red, blue 
and yellow, are not found in equal 
purity in anv single genus of plants. 
There are b’ue Gladioli, but the blue is 
really heliotrope or purple. The red 
hyacinths are but pink, the yellow Ver¬ 
bena or geranium worthy of the name 
does not exist, though earnestly sought 
for. Dull and ugly purplish roses, 
called blue, have been introduced only 
to meet instant condemnation by grow¬ 
ers, but still the quest goes on. The 
latest “blue” rose brought to notice is 
Veilchenblau (violet blue), raised by 
a German grower of established repu¬ 
tation. It is said to be a seedling of 
Crimson Rambler, growing with the 
same vigor and rapidity, with particu¬ 
larly thick and handsome foliage. 
The flowers are single or partly double 
and borne in laroe clusters in the usual 
style of Rosa multiflora derivations, 
violet-blue in color with lighter violet 
center. There is more red than blue 
in the flowers in some stages of bloom, 
but the coloring on the whole is 
claimed to come nearer the popular 
idea of a blue rose than any yet 
brought to notice. “Veilchenblau” 
rose is offered in this country by a 
prominent nurserv, not as an ideal blue 
rose, but as a long step in that direc¬ 
tion, and doubtless merits trial by in¬ 
terested growers. 
Boursault Rambler Hybrids. —There 
were raised on the Rural Grounds sev¬ 
eral years ago many crosses between 
Crimson Rambler and old Red Bour¬ 
sault, a seeding of Rosa pendulina, 
with double purplish flowers. The hy¬ 
brids were good growers, with small 
dark foliage and profuse broad clusters 
of single and semi-double blooms 
varying in color from bright to very 
dark magenta or red-purple, with con¬ 
spicuous large white or violet centers. 
The effect of the large and compact 
flower clusters startlingly imitated that 
of the corymbs of modern exhibition 
Cinerarias. These novel shades gave 
more than a hint of the possibility 
of blue as a color in climbing roses, 
but the texture of petal was too soft 
to endure our Jersey sun, and the vari¬ 
eties were never introduced to cultiva¬ 
tion. 
Pbl'ning Roses. — I would like to know 
the correct way to trim rose bushes. I see 
rose bushes near-b.v with canes from six to 
nine or ten feet long. Some have laterals, 
some none. We have one with canes six feet 
long; some laterals near top eight to twelve 
inches long; another with two canes, I 
should say two or three years old; no 
laterals on it. Alwut bow many years be¬ 
fore a rose bush comes in bearing? I worked 
at a place two years ago where they 
irimmed their bushes quite a lot, and they 
always had a large quantity of roses, r. 
The pruning of rose bushes differs 
with the variety, or rather class, to 
which the variety belongs. Dwarf, or 
weak-growing kinds, such as Teas or 
I Ivbrid Perpetuals, should be severely 
cut back in early Spring, taking out 
all weak or injured wood. The main 
stems should be shortened to within a 
foot or less of the ground, cutting .back 
to a plump outside bud. If laterals 
are allowed they should be cut to one 
or at most, two buds. With such treat¬ 
ment, other conditions being equal, 
large and fine blooms may be expected. 
Tall growing garden roses need less 
pruning. Weak and interfering 
branches should be cut out, and strong 
canes shortened to make well-balanced 
bushes. Such varieties as Harrison’s 
or Persian Yellow bear their blooms 
on the old wood, and should only be 
pruned in alternate years. It is well to 
have two or more plants so that some 
may be cut back each Spring while 
the others bloom. Crimson Rambler 
and other tall climbers are generally 
able to take care of themselves. Now 
and then it is necessary to cut out old 
canes and shorten weak laterals, but as 
a rule little pruning is needed. As to 
age of flowering, Teas and Hybrid 
Teas should bloom as soon as estab¬ 
lished ; Remontants or Hybrid Pcrpet- 
uals in a year or two after planting or 
at once, if the plants are strong, Tall 
climbers, garden roses and the hardy 
yellow-flowered varieties, require three 
or four years’ growth before profuse 
bloom can be expected. w. v. F. 
Wintering Roses in Vermont. 
A. C. II.. Adamant, VI .—In Ruralisms of 
May 1 mention is made of how S. S. Chand¬ 
ler. of Vermont, protects his roses through 
the Winter hy banking with dirt and plac¬ 
ing in pits. I wish to suggest that there 
are doubtless others than myself who live 
in the “cold north” who are interested in 
roses, and would he delighted to have Mr. 
Chandler give exact and plain details of 
just how he does this work. 
Ans.—I have often said that if one can 
be satisfied with any other flower, I 
would not advise him to try to grow 
roses in this climate, but if one likes 
roses well enough to stay by them, he can 
grow good roses even here, and I have 
found it possible to grow some kinds 
that with* ordinary treatment would 
surely fail. As I stated in previous 
letter, most everbloomers are wintered 
in an outside pit. This is simply a 
trench dug about two feet deep in a 
dry hillside, where no water can stand. 
When the roses have been made fully 
dormant by a few sharp frosts they 
are dug and laid closely in the bottom 
of this pit and covered with earth, 
heaping up a little over the top. After 
ground is frozen hard a covering of 
straw or boards will retain the frost 
so that plants will remain dormant 
until planting time in Spring. This is 
important, as without this covering 
they sometimes start growth before 
ground is fit to work. Another impor¬ 
tant point is to shade from hot sun or 
possible frost for a few days after 
planting, or until they are fully estab¬ 
lished. This is done by planting in 
beds* setting up .boards around the 
edge, and covering tops with burlap 
screens. Old bran sacks are just the 
thing. By this method I have safely 
wintered even so tender a variety as 
Safrano, but only the fairly hardy ones 
can be depended on. Much depends 
upon condition of roses in the Fall. 
Last year was extremely unfavorable, 
and I have lost many roses as a result. 
The hardiest kinds will usually winter 
safely if on well-drained ground, by 
banking deeply with earth right where 
they grow. Even some ever-bloomers 
may be wintered in this way. Two 
years ago I bought a few roses which 
have gone safely through two Winters 
with only this earth banking, but as 
most of them prove not true to name, 
I do not know what they are. One 
must be satisfied with comparatively 
meagre results, as growing roses here 
is working against Nature, but even 
thus I get more fun out of a few roses 
than from any other one thing I grow. 
Caledonia Co., Vt. s. s. chandler. 
• 
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