18 
tJL J^ittle “Hook (About 'looses 
Potted Roses for May and June Planting 
Peterson Potted Roses are mature, field-grown plants that have been put into 6-inch 
pots and carried over the winter in deep coldframes. They are then specially handled 
for late spring and early summer planting, so there are none finer to fill in vacancies in 
your garden. They will be growing and may even be in bud when you receive them, but 
may still be planted with absolute safety. Orders received too late in the spring season 
for planting dormant stock will be filled with potted plants sent by express collect in 
waterproof paper pots. 
Customers driving to the nursery to take plants with them will find a good supply 
available in May and June. Many will be in bud, some in bloom, so the selection of varie¬ 
ties is made easy. 
As the season advances, certain varieties we offer may become sold out. However, 
when requested or given permission to assist you with the selection, you will always 
receive more than full value. Prices will be the same as for dormant stock. 
The Culture of the Rose 
Roses are easy to grow provided you begin with the right kind of plants. Peterson 
Roses have made it possible for the beginner as well as the experienced amateur to 
achieve success. 
LOCATION OF SITE. The ideal site for a 
Hybrid Tea Rose-garden is one that does not 
receive the early morning sun—a location 
sheltered if possible from high winds, but 
where the plants will get enough air and sun¬ 
light. Roses here in the East like partial 
shade, especially during July and August 
when our climate is usually hot and dry. 
When one resides in a city or town the choice 
of location for a Rose-bed is often quite 
limited, and yet many thousands of Rose- 
culturists so situated are very successful. 
SOIL. Any good garden soil which will 
produce vegetables or good crops of annuals 
and perennials will also grow Roses. The 
hardy understock upon which all of our Roses 
are budded does well in both heavy clay soils 
and in the lighter sandy loams. 
PREPARATION OF BEDS. Although, as 
we have just said, good Roses can be grown 
in an average garden soil, where the best 
obtainable Roses are desired the beds should 
be trenched to the depth of 15 to 18 inches. 
Try to get some old cow-manure and mix one 
part of this with about three parts of soil. 
Allow to settle before planting. 
It is only when you are forced to plant in a 
low, wet situation that drainage is important. 
In that case you should simply remove about 
a foot of soil and place cinders or stones in the 
bottom of the bed. 
While we do not wish to belittle the idea 
that soil-preparation is important, we do 
know that many beginners who want to plant 
Roses imagine that there is some difficult and 
secret soil-mixture that Rose plants demand, 
and this is decidedly not the case. The feed¬ 
ing, cultivating, spraying or dusting, water¬ 
ing, and pruning of established plants is more 
important than a lot of over-preparation and 
over-fertilizing before the plants are set. 
MANURES AND FERTILIZERS. With so 
many new and recommended fertilizers of all 
descriptions being offered to plant-lovers, it 
is no wonder that some of us are rather con¬ 
fused on this subject. At the same time, there 
are no hard-and-fast rules for fertilizing Roses, 
so that many of the new combinations of 
fertilizing materials have their value in Rose¬ 
feeding provided you follow the directions of 
the manufacturer. 
The best and safest way to feed Roses is to 
use cow-manure in some form. If it is not 
obtainable as well-rotted barn-manure, then 
it can be obtained in a dry concentrated form 
by the bag. Because Roses want their food 
right down at the roots and within a relatively 
small feeding area there is nothing better 
than liquid manure. This solution is very 
easily prepared by soaking either fresh or dry 
manure in water at the rate of approximately 
one pound to every gallon of water. Frequent 
applications about a week apart, using a half 
gallon to a plant during the active growing 
season in June, July, and August is recom¬ 
mended. 
A good grade of raw, coarse bonemeal may 
be mixed with the soil when Roses are planted. 
It can also be fed once or twice a season, about 
a pint to an established plant. Be sure your 
bonemeal is a reliable brand. 
Hardwood ashes not only act as a good 
fertilizer high in potash content, but will also 
sweeten the soil. This may be applied liberally 
two or three times during the growing season. 
Air-slaked lime is good to apply in modera¬ 
tion on an old bed where the soil may be acid. 
It is not a plant-food, but will make other 
fertilizing elements available for plant con¬ 
sumption. Never mix lime and bonemeal 
within a short period. 
Concentrated chemical fertilizers are now 
available in the form of small tablets that 
may be used on Roses according to directions. 
