ROSES IN THE SOUTHWEST 
171 
and hedge-plants, shrubs and flowers, which sap the fertility of the beds, 
and will propagate its enemies. The lovely Spirea and the Chrysanthemum 
are examples, both being hotbeds for the generation of the Aphis. 
Rose beds may be any shape desired, but to arrive at a pleasing effect, 
they should have some definite plan. Not more than two rows of bushes 
to a bed is advisable to make cultivation and cutting easy. Avoid step¬ 
ping in the bed, as it packs the ground, and injures the roots underneath. 
Average Rose-beds should be from three to four feet wide, with from two 
to three-foot paths in between. The distance apart of the bushes is deter¬ 
mined by the size and habit of growth of the varieties chosen. Radiance 
bushes should be planted at least two feet apart in one direction and 
eighteen inches in the other; other bushes from sixteen to eighteen inches, 
depending upon their type of growth. 
PREPARATION OF BEDS 
If possible prepare your beds some time before you will be ready to 
plant. Dig the ground to a depth of at least two feet and then thoroughly 
break up the "hard pan”, if it has been reached. Only the top foot of soil 
taken out will be very fertile, and this should be mixed with an equal 
quantity of well-rotted manure or leaf-mold; both provide humus which 
has the happy faculty of breaking up a heavy soil and binding a light 
one. 
If your bushes have not been pruned, cut out all but the three strong¬ 
est canes and cut these back to within three "eyes” or leaf-buds from the 
ground. Trim off all broken ends of roots; and then carry the bushes 
to the place of planting in a pail of water, exposing them (and especially 
the roots) as little as possible to the sun and wind. 
If making an entire new bed, plant a row at a time by the trench¬ 
ing system. Dig a long trench down one side of the bed to the proper 
depth, piling the earth taken out on the other side of the bed. 
Place the bushes the proper distance apart in this trench with their roots 
spread out, mounding the earth to the center to fit the rounded contour 
of the Rose’s root-system, leaving the bush naturally placed, and not 
in a depressed condition. Set the plants so that the "bud” (or point of 
union of the plant and the understock) will be just beneath the surface 
of the ground. Draw the soil that was put aside around each bush in turn, 
taking care to keep the roots in a natural position, and pointing down. 
In the first layer, incorporate a cup of bonemeal for each bush, being 
careful to thoroughly mix it with the soil; and, if your soil is black and 
heavy, about one-third sand would be a good addition. But don’t attempt 
to make your earth too light, as the heavy soil helps to anchor the Rose 
against the strong winds prevalent in the Southwest. 
When the entire bed has been filled within two inches of the top, firm 
the ground well, and then water. Let the hose run on the bed until it is 
thoroughly saturated. When the water drains away, any air pockets left 
are easily detected and may be filled with sand. Repeat the process until 
Ideal 
Locations 
Lor Roses 
Shape and 
Size of 
Beds 
Depth 
of Bed 
Preparation 
of Bushes 
for 
Planting 
Trenching 
System 
How to 
Place a 
Bush 
Soil 
Preparation 
Water 
