20 
t .A J^ittle “Book tAbout Roses 
on the individual habit 
and vigor of the variety. 
Cutting away about two- 
thirds of the previous 
season’s growth is a safe 
rule to follow in pruning 
the main strong canes. 
The severer the pruning, 
the larger the flowers to 
follow. A moderate prun¬ 
ing will yield more flowers 
of less size. When in 
doubt, prune hard be¬ 
cause rarely it ever is a 
Rose bush injured by 
severe pruning. On the 
other hand, lack of proper 
pruning is responsible for 
many Rose-failures. 
Both old and new Hy¬ 
brid Perpetuals may well 
be cut back to a foot of the 
surface if large, typical 
flowers are to be expected. 
It is true that where Perpetuals are allowed 
to grow tall, say 4 to 5 feet, they will continue 
to flower. But if they are pruned severely 
once in a while, and the plant is thus rejuve¬ 
nated, the size of the flowers is greatly in¬ 
creased, and, furthermore, there will be 
recurrent blooms during the summer, if the 
flowers in June are cut with long stems. We 
feel that one of the reasons that the popularity 
of the Hybrid Perpetual has waned is because 
the erroneous impression has gone around 
that they do not need pruning; consequently, 
the plant becomes straggly, blooms mediocre 
and unattractive. Therefore, our recom¬ 
mendation is to make better use of the prun- 
ing-shears on this highly desirable type of Rose. 
Climbing Roses—and here we refer to the 
Wichuraianas and the new Australian climbers 
that produce their large flowers singly or in 
clusters on long stems—need very little 
pruning the first few years, except to see that 
the old flower-stems, provided they have not 
been used for cut-flowers, are cut back to 
within one or two eyes from the main branch. 
It must be remembered that this class flowers 
only on wood of the previous season’s growth. 
On most varieties even the old, hard canes, 
provided they are healthy, will produce a 
bountiful crop of flowers year after year. At 
any time, preferably during early summer 
after blooming, some of the old canes may be 
removed entirely if the plant is becoming too 
large or growing out of bounds. In other 
words, prune them for shape and symmetry 
and train them wherever and whichever way 
you want them to be, either on trellises, 
pillars, fences, pergolas, arches, etc. Greater 
profusion of bloom results when the new 
canes are bent or trained in different directions 
instead of being allowed to grow straight up. 
The old Rambler type, like Dorothy 
Perkins and Crimson Rambler, whose small, 
double flowers are borne in clusters, must be 
pruned each year so that the canes that have 
flowered are removed. This allows the new 
strong shoots coming from the base of the 
plant to grow and develop flowering eyes for 
next year’s flowers. 
In pruning Polyanthas, simply remove the 
faded flowers during the summer and prune 
lightly in spring. 
SUMMER PRUNING. At the end of the 
first or main blooming season, which in this 
latitude comes in late June, a medium pruning 
will result in a more bounteous crop of bloom 
later on. Where the flowers were not cut with 
a liberal stem, the latter may now be cut 
back two-thirds or so of their length; this 
allows two or three sets of leaves to remain 
on each strong stem. Do not, however, cut all 
growths back nor prune severely as advised 
in the spring. So severe a pruning will disturb 
the balance between top and root and will 
seriously check the growth. 
We do not advise later summer pruning 
nor fertilizing since both will have a tendency 
to promote late growths which will not have 
time to ripen or harden for the winter. 
AUTUMN PRUNING. The question has 
been asked us many times how or what to do 
about pruning before hilling up with soil for 
winter protection. Very little, if any, is 
necessary except to remove some of the tall 
branches on varieties like Radiance, Lady 
Ursula, etc. This may be done roughly and 
is mainly recommended to prevent unneces¬ 
sary evaporation when so much of the plant 
is exposed to strong winds and sun. 
CULTIVATING AND WATERING. Most 
everyone knows that it is important to keep 
the soil in a Rose-bed loose and aerated. A 
summer mulch of peat moss, tobacco stems, 
grass-clippings, or other clean litter is always 
beneficial. We like to see the peat moss hoed 
and worked into the upper soil-layer. Roses 
do not need to be hoed or cultivated deeply 
so long as the job is done regularly and 
thoroughly. 
Never allow Rose-beds to become dry 
throughout the entire growing season from 
early spring until late fall. We know of many 
instances where Roses are suffering, especially 
during July and August, from lack of water. 
In many cases the gardener imagines his 
problem is one of feeding, whereas all that is 
necessary is a thorough soaking. The theory 
that Rose-gardens must be especially well 
drained has been carried to the extreme in 
this country. It is different in the Pacific 
Northwest and in foreign countries, parti¬ 
cularly England, where climate and atmos¬ 
phere are continually moist. Therefore, our 
recommendation is always to water, and water 
plenty, during prolonged dry spells. 
bush thinned out and 
pruned back to the 
black lines in spring. 
This also shows the 
proper depth to plant 
below the soil-line. 
Bridgewater, Conn., November 20, 1934 
The 15 Roses I received last week and the ones earlier for replacement were the finest I ever saw. 
The Roses I am now ordering are to be heeled in for spring planting .— Mrs. Burton E. Canfield. 
530 W. Taylor St., Griffin, Ga., November 19, 1934 
I am enclosing a little order for a dozen Roses, together with my check. The plants I had from you 
last season have all lived and bloomed .— Frank Sorrel. 
