2 
J. W. Erwin, Denton, Texas 
ten days. If this dust mulch is maintained it will conserve the moisture and save a 
great deal of labor in watering. Should the beds become too dry soak them thoroughly 
by allowing the water to run directly on the ground and after the surface begins to 
dry, cultivate as above. Liquid manure applied at the ratei of about a half gallon to 
the plant every two or three weeks will be of benefit during the growing season. 
SPRAYS 
Mildew and Blackspot are the worst enemies of roses and prevention is a 
great deal easier than attempting to cure the disease. Dust the plants thoroughly 
every two or three weeks with a dust made of nine parts sulphur and one part arsenate 
of lead. 
Chewing insects and green plant lice can easily be controlled by spraying with 
a solution of nicotine or other relable sprays on the market used according to the 
direction of the manufacturers. 
CUT ROSES 
Roses should be cut when the buds begin to open with as long a stem as it is 
possible to secure and still leave a stub or spur on the main cane long enough to 
carry one or two leaf stems. At the base of each of the leaf stems will be noticed a 
bud or eye and when one or two of these are left on the remaining spur they will 
force out new flower stems and produce many more flowers than bushes where the 
stems are cut too close to the main cane. 
PRUNING 
Roses should never be allowed to go unpruned from 
year to year. The Teas and Hybrid Teas, commonly known 
as everblooming or monthly blooming roses, bloom on the 
new wood produced each growing season and only three or 
four of the most vigorous canes should be left on the plant 
and these cut back to a height of not over eight or ten 
inches above the ground level. The Perpetual, Hybrid Per- 
petuals and allied families of bush roses should be reduced 
about one-half and thinned by taking the weak canes and 
stems out. The remaining canes on all rose bushes should 
be left in as nearly a balanced position around the crown or 
root as possible so as to produce a symmetrical plant the 
following season. 
Climbing roses as a rule should not be pruned heavily 
after the first year. The frame work branches should be 
trained against the wall or fence and may be shortened in 
after years if desired. Each season the weak and dead 
branches should be removed on all types of climbers. Those 
listed as monthly bloomers such as Climbing Luxembourg, 
Columbia, etc., should be pruned more heavily than the var¬ 
ieties which bloom only once or twice during the season 
for the reason that they bloom on new wood during the 
growing season while those making a large burst of flowers 
in the Spring and only intermittently thereafter visually 
bloom on wood grown the preceding year. Probably the 
best time to prune roses in this latitude is during the montl 
of January or the early part of February. 
WINTER PROTECTION 
Roses need very little protection in this climate and 
if about six or eight inches of dirt is pulled to the plants 
after they become dormant there will be little or no loss 
from cold weather. In the North it is well to mound this 
dirt up and after the first heavy freeze cut the tops back 
about half and work strawy manure, leaves or evergreen 
boughs over the canes, taking care that they are not smoth¬ 
ered with too much material over them. 
