A Short Course 
To grow good roses requires enthusiasm and diligence. 
A lazy or only casually interested gardener will never 
succeed. 
The Weather 
Next to the grower himself, the most important factor 
in rose growing is weather. Of weather, the aspect which 
most affects roses is the temperature. Roses are supposed 
to be hardy* plants, but few of them are able to survive 
sub-zero temperatures without damage. 
North America is divided by the rose growers' view¬ 
point into two districts: the South, where zero weather 
never occurs, and the North, where zero or worse may be 
expected. 
Much of the following will not apply to those who 
grow roses in the South, and only relatively to those in 
the North, according to the severity of the winters. 
Next to temperature, sunlight is most potent. Upon 
the whole continent of North America the winter sunshine 
is powerful, far more intense than in any part of Europe 
Thus the North has to contend with both cold in winter 
and hot sun in summer. The South, free from frost, ex 
periences relatively less trouble from hot sunshine because 
the best rose season comes very early in the year before 
the sun attains full summer violence. 
Moisture is very important. Cool, rainy, or misty 
weather is ideal for roses. A hot, damp climate and a 
cold, wet one are equally bad, causing the roses to mil- 
dewf and ball.$ 
Violent changes of temperature are likely to cause 
mildew. 
Cool, dry weather is good for roses if plenty of water 
is supplied to the roots; and in hot, dry weather both 
water and shade are needed to get the best flowers. 
High winds are bad for roses, but a gentle circulation 
of air tends to prevent mildew and other troubles. 
What to Do About the Weather 
In the North, plant roses where they will be sheltered 
by buildings or vegetation from cold and wind. A little 
shade through the heat of the day is advisable. The 
morning sun is no special benefit, and is frequently a 
nuisance. 
Roses require much water, and, if it is not provided by 
rainfall, it must be supplied by the hose or bucket. Pour 
water on the rose beds copiously when you do water; do 
not merely sprinkle. Avoid wetting the foliage if it can 
be helped. 
In the South, shelter from wind and sun is an ad¬ 
vantage, and plenty of water 1 is necessary at all times. 
Soil 
Heavy clay loam is best, but good roses can be grown 
in almost any kind of soil. Very light, sandy, or stony 
gardens should be made as hospitable to them as possible. 
Any soil which will raise good hay, corn or potatoes 
will raise roses. 
The drainage must be free, so that rain does not leave 
the ground spongy or soggy. Avoid planting roses where it 
is always damp, and do not water so often that the soil 
is continually wet. 
What to Do About Soil 
Use the best you have, whatever it is. To heavy clay 
add rotten manure, digging it in deeply. 1 8 inches is deep 
*“Hardy” in this connection means that the plant is 
able to withstand freezing temperatures without protection. 
fMildew is a disease attacking the surface of rose leaves 
and covering them with a felty gray powder and finally 
shriveling and blackening them. 
$ “Ball’' is a term used to describe the failure of 
flower-buds to open properly. They swell and fall off, ot 
dry up, or rot on the bush. 
.. c>i|--- 
By G. A. Stevens, Secretary 
Reprinted by Special Permission of the American Rose 
enough, although some extravagant people prepare the soil 
3 feet deep. If clay ground is very heavy and cloddy, 
likely to accumulate in rough lumps, a light dressing of 
lime will be beneficial; but do not scatter lime about 
recklessly on general principles: it is not a fertilizer, and 
roses are not particularly fond of it. 
If your soil is light and fluffy, add clay if it can be 
got, or plenty of sticky cow manure. 
If it is sandy, add clay if possible, and all the manure, 
artificial or natural, that you can afford. 
Use plenty of fertilizer in the bottom of the rose bed 
Rotten cow manure is best, but any other will do, if the 
best is not available. Commercial manures and bone meal 
are good, and should be used as directed by the manu 
facturers. 
Do not use chemical fertilizers unless you know exactly 
what you are doing. 
Damp spots must be drained by laying a tile along the 
bottom of the rose bed to a lower outlet. This is seldom 
necessary. 
Kind of Plants to Get 
Buy two-year-old budded plants from a dependable 
nurseryman, not from a merchant of worn-out "bench" 
roses discarded from greenhouses; or from a dealer in 
dried-out left-overs and seconds. 
How Many Plants? 
Not less than three of one variety, if your pocketbook 
will stand it. 
The more plants you have of a variety, the better you 
will like it; and the garden will be much more uniform 
in appearance and production. 
Time to Buy Plants 
In the North, spring is safest, and the least trouble. 
Autumn planting is more or less risky, but it has the 
advantage that the roses are established by spring and 
ready to get to work at once. 
Plants may be bought in autumn, buried deeply in dry 
soil over winter, and planted out in spring. Dealers' 
stocks are complete in autumn, and you are fairly sure to 
get what you order; the plants are usually bigger and 
more alive; most important, you have them at hand for 
earliest spring planting. 
In the South, late November, December and January 
are the best planting months. 
Planting 
Spring planting in the North should be got under way 
as soon as the soil can be worked—the earlier the better. 
Roses ought not be planted in little holes in the lawn. 
Give them a row to themselves in the flower or vegetable 
garden; or make a solid bed for them alone. 
Remember that rose bushes are alive; treat them as you 
would any living thing. Keep the roots of the bushes 
covered while they are out of the ground. Do not expose 
them to the sun and wind any more than you would a 
pet goldfish. 
Make generous holes for the plants, broad and rather 
shallow. Set the plant so that the bud* is even with the 
surface of the bed, or just under it. Spread the roots 
almost horizontally, and work fine rich soil among them, 
tamping it down firmly. Separate the various strands and 
layers of roots so that they are not doubled, cramped, or 
crowded. Make the soil very firm. If the weather is 
dry, water heavily, and hill the plants with earth until 
the buds start to break. 
Plant just the same in autumn, except that the roses 
must be heavily protected then for the winter. 
*This is the knot or irregularity where the rose is 
joined to the wild root. 
Roses for 
the Living from Pc 
