Tht RURAL. NEW-YORKER 
883 
Pruning Roses 
I would like to know how the various 
species of roses should be pruned. It is 
my opinion that they should be treated 
as berries ; that is, cut out all but the new 
growth after blooming has passed. 
Newark, N. Y. W. J. P. 
All roses cannot be pruned alike, and 
thus one general rule may not be adhered 
to with all classes. It is a general rule 
to cut back weak growers more severely 
than vigorous kinds, but this rule is sub¬ 
ject to many modifications. As the flow¬ 
ers of common garden roses are produced 
on new wood of the season, it is desirable 
to have strong, clean canes, and not so 
many of them that they will produce a 
quantity of small blooms. The chief 
pruning of Hybrid Perpetuals is done in 
early Spring, but in late Autumn long 
canes are often cut back to prevent their 
whipping about in Winter gales. In the 
Spring pruning all old and weak wood 
may be removed. If the fresh flowers are 
cut freely, and the withered ones re¬ 
moved, there is little Summer pruning. 
It is not desirable to induce a lot of soft 
green growth too late to ripen in Fall. 
Tea roses do not endure such vigorous 
cutting back as Hybrid Perpetuals, and 
all good, strong shoots should be retained. 
Canes may be shortened about one-third 
in Spring, and after blooming long shoots 
should be trimmed sparingly. Bourbons 
need very little pruning, while climbing 
roses are merely trimmed moderately, 
weak shoots and dead wood being re¬ 
moved. Some of them, however, are such 
rampant growers that a good many inter¬ 
fering shoots must be removed. Hybrid 
Teas are pruned discreetly at the time 
the buds are swelling. It will be seen 
that there are too many variations in 
treatment to set up a general rule, as in 
the case of berries, but early Spring re¬ 
mains the season for the main pruning 
with them all. 
Crossing of Melons and Cucumbers 
A friend tells me that if I plant melons, 
squash, cucumbers, etc., in the same gar¬ 
den, they will cross-pollinate and ruin the 
vegetables. If they will mix, how far 
apart should they be planted? s. c. s. 
Oceanside, N. Y. 
As regards the watermelon, there is no 
likelihood that this plant ('botanically 
Citrullys) will make a cross with squash, 
pumpkin, muskmelon or cucumber, which 
belong to another division of the family, 
Cucumis. The watermelon will mix 
with the preserving citron, which is mere¬ 
ly another form of the same thing, Cit- 
rullus n lgaris, but while the seed would 
be unreliable for another year, there is 
not likely to be much change in this sea¬ 
son’s fruit. Crosses between squashes and 
pumpkins are reported, but crosses be¬ 
tween the muskmelon and other forms of 
Cucumis are very doubtful. The effect of 
pollen upon flavor is not well understood, 
but it is unlikely that if a melon-cucum¬ 
ber cross took place the quality would be 
affected the current season. The seed of 
such a cross-pollination, if this is a pos¬ 
sibility, would be uncertain and quite 
possibly sterile. Gardeners sometimes 
think flatness of flavor in melons is due to 
such crossing, when the real cause may 
be blight. This disease is not always rec¬ 
ognized in an early stage, but it causes a 
marked deterioration in quality of fruit. 
We do not think there is any reason for 
anxiety over such a possible crossing. 
Treatment of Forced Bulbs 
Last Winter I forced some Paper White 
Narcissus, some jonquils and some Sacred 
Chinese lily bulbs. After forcing them 
I allowed them to dry thoroughly, and I 
have planted them in my garden to let 
them get a Summer growth. I would 
like information as to the proper method 
of culture for these bulbs, in order to 
bring them again either to the forcing 
condition or for transplanting in a per¬ 
manent bed in the garden. L. s. u. 
Fort Crook, Neb. 
We cannot give much encouragement 
for satisfactory results from the Narcis¬ 
sus bulbs previously forced. Paper White 
Narcissus and Chinese Sacred Lily are 
both tender sorts; they do not stand the 
Winter here in the latitude of New York, 
and we judge that the climate of Fort 
Crook would be quite as severe. For this 
reason you could not plant them in a 
permanent garden bed. In the florist 
trade these bulbs are never forced a sec¬ 
ond time, but one of our correspondents 
reported that she forced a Chinese Sacred 
Lily more than once. She let the plant 
gradually ripen its foliage, and then dried 
it off and stored the bulb until time to be¬ 
gin forcing. There is much risk, how¬ 
ever. that the bulb would be too weak to 
bloom, for it is grown with the idea of 
storing up strength for the forcing period, 
and treatment at this time exhausts it. 
instead of storing reserve strength. 
If the jonquil referred to is one of the 
hardy trumpet Narcissi, it may be allowed 
to ripen its foliage, and then be removed 
from the pot and stored dry in a paper 
bag until Fall, when it may be planted 
out. It is not likely to flower the ensuing 
season, but if it lives and gains strength, 
it will probably bloom the second Spring. 
AVe would not recommend an attempt to 
force it again. Hardy bulbs, treated in 
this way, are often useful in shrubberies 
or herbaceous borders, though the uncer¬ 
tainty of results makes them undesirable 
in formal beds. 
one ounce of flowers of sulphur to one 
gallon of water, is efficacious out of doors, 
and should be used in this case. A pro¬ 
longed cold rain is likely to discourage 
red spider, but a serious infestation so 
early in the season is very detrimental to 
the Phlox. 
pot. with two inches of clear space above 
it; barely cover with soil More soil is 
added later for the stem roots to run in. 
Keep the pot in a cool cellar, or plunged 
in a sheltered place outside, watering when 
needed, until roots are well formed, when 
it may be brought into the house. 
Red Spider on Phlox 
What can I do for the blight on peren¬ 
nial Phlox? I have a fine collection, but 
some blight appears in a few weeks and 
nearly kills all leaves. I am enclosing leaf 
for your inspection. MBS. w. n. p. 
Delevan, N. Y. 
The leaves of Phlox sent did not show 
disease, but were very badly infested with 
red spider. This minute insect infests the 
under side of leaves, where it spins a fine 
web; it sucks the juice until the leaves 
become weakened and rusty, and if un¬ 
checked will defoliate and kill the plant. 
It is destructive to many plants, and af¬ 
fects orchard trees during a long drought; 
the present dry season is very favorable to 
it. Cold water, directed with some force 
from a hose, will destroy the insect, and 
this is the usual procedure under green¬ 
house conditions. A spray of sulphur, 
Ca.e of Easter Lily After Blooming 
Last Fall I purchased an Easter lily 
bulb; it was at least 3 in. in diameter 
and has borne nine flowers. Is there 
any way to care for the bulb so it will 
blossom again next Easter? 
Michigan. MBS. G. W. C. 
When blooming is over leave the lily 
in the pot, giving full sun and plenty of 
water to keep it growing. As the 
weather becomes warmer plunge the pot 
outride; that is, sipk it in the soil the 
depth of the pot, putting a shovelful of 
coal ashes in the bottom of the hole to 
keep earthworms out of the pot. Water 
regularly until about August when growth 
will gradually cease, and the leavees will 
become „ llow and wither. Water should 
then be gradually withheld as the top 
dries, off. When the stem is dead the 
pot should be stored in the cellar where it 
will not dry out entirely until it is potted. 
In October shake the dry earth off the 
bulb and put in a clean pot. Ap¬ 
propriate soil is two-thirds good loam 
and one-third well-rotted manure. _ Put 
broken crocks in the bottom for drainage, 
and put the bulb in the middle of the 
Propagating Spiraeas 
Would you tell me how to propagate 
Spiraea Van Houtteii? I admire this 
shrub very much, and would like to know 
how I can grow plants myself. E. T. 
New Brunswick, N. J. 
The shrubby Spiraeas are propagated 
by layers, by cuttings of ripe wood and 
by root cuttings. The simplest and 
easiest garden method is by layers, which 
may be made in Spring. Bend down a 
well-grown shoot, cutting a little heel in 
the bark at the place where it touches 
the ground, without cutting through the 
cambium layer into the wood. Make the 
earth fine and friable, and peg down the 
branch, leaving the tip free. Put a little 
earth over the place where the shoot is 
pegged down. Leave undisturbed until 
next Spring, when you may cut off the 
tip, with the roots formed, and you have 
a strong-growing new plant. This is an 
easy process, and will be found satisfac¬ 
tory with many shrubs. It is merely a 
cutting that is sustained by the parent 
plant while making roots. 
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