VESTAL 
ROSES 
For nearly seventy years Jos. W. Vestal & Son has been growing 
Roses for southern homes and gardens. Each variety has been 
selected for fragrance, delicacy of form, strength of color, and 
productiveness of the plant in the garden. Every plant has been 
raised with particular attention to preserving and increasing its 
vigor, so that the Rose bushes which we offer are comparable 
only with the best. 
Thousands of gardeners throughout the South realize the su¬ 
periority of Vestal Roses. Old Rose bushes, purchased from us 
many years ago, are growing in nooks and corners around beautiful 
homes in many states. Because of their permanence they live 
and grow year after year, and with the passing of generations 
become actual family heirlooms. 
Vestal Roses may be bought as own-root or grafted stock. One- 
year plants are all on their own roots, and we can supply the two- 
year plants in own-root or grafted plants, whichever is wanted. 
Until March 15, bare-rooted, dormant plants will be used in 
filling orders, but, after growth begins, potted plants will be sent. 
Our Roses are grafted on Texas Wax and Multiflora by the root- 
graft method, which practically eliminates suckering. 
The ball of earth which covers the roots of Vestal’s Own-Root 
Roses is a distinct advantage because such plants may be set out 
with perfect safety at any time when the weather is not too cold. 
Some of our two-year-old plants are potted in the early fall and 
plunged in the open ground in coldframes where they harden during 
the winter months and mature slowly and evenly. These plants 
are used for late spring sales. One-year-old Roses are grown in 
greenhouses and have not been subjected to outside weather 
conditions. For this reason they should not be planted outdoors 
until after freezing weather is over. 
HOW TO GROW ROSES 
Soil. Roses will grow in any soil which produces a good crop of 
vegetables or other plants. Other things being equal, they prefer a 
rather stiff, well-drained, clay soil, liberally enriched with rotted cow- 
manure or whatever fertilizer is available. For best results the Rose-bed 
should be dug not less than 18 inches deep, thoroughly incorporating 
the manure with the soil in the lower layer and making sure that the 
bottom of the bed is not soggy or wet, for Roses demand good drainage. 
Time to Plant. In the South and Southwest, Roses may be planted 
any time from the first of October until the first of June, except when 
the ground is frozen. In spring and summer, pot-grown Roses may be 
planted any time. 
As soon as you receive the package of plants from the express office 
or postman, open it to give the tops air but do not expose them to 
wind or sun, and do not uncover the roots until you are ready to plant 
them. If considerable time is likely to elapse before they can be put 
in their permanent location, dig a trench in the garden and lay the 
bushes in it on their sides, covering the roots with a foot or more of 
soil to protect them. 
Planting. Remember that the roots must be sheltered from the 
wind and sun. A damp piece of burlap or carpet is a good covering 
material, or plants with bare roots may be kept in a tub of water until 
they are needed. Set out Hybrid Tea Roses about 2 feet apart each 
way, to allow plenty of room for development. If only a single row of 
Roses is being planted, they may be spaced somewhat closer. 
Make the holes for the roots big enough to accommodate them in a 
natural, uncramped position. If budded or bare-rooted Roses are used, 
set the bud 1 inch or so below the surface of the ground, and if pot- 
grown Roses are being planted, set the ball of earth about 1 inch deeper 
than it was in the pot. 
Sift well-pulverized soil over and around the roots and press it down 
very firmly. It is good practice to get into the hole and tramp the soil 
hard. If the ground is dry, a bucket of water may be poured into the 
hole and allowed to drain away before completing planting. Remember, 
the main thing is to get the roots very firmly packed into the soil, so 
that all air-holes are squeezed out, and when the Rose is planted it 
should be so firm in the ground that you cannot pull it up. If pot- 
grown Roses are planted when the weather is hot and sunny, shading 
and watering may be necessary for a few days, and if they are planted 
in the autumn or in early spring before the weather has become settled, 
they should be hilled up with soil to protect the canes from freezing 
or drying out. 
Cultivation. After the Roses begin to grow, the soil should be 
cultivated regularly every week or ten days throughout the entire 
summer. Do not permit weeds or any other plants to grow in the 
Rose-bed. As soon as the buds begin to show color a little extra fer¬ 
tilizer may be given in the form of liquid manure, or some commercial 
fertilizer. Do not allow the plants to suffer from lack of water, but 
when you water Roses be sure you do it thoroughly and copiously, so 
that the moisture reaches the lowest roots. If you are unable to 
cultivate the Rose-bed constantly throughout the season, it may be 
covered with a mulch of peat moss, buckwheat hulls, or some other 
insulating material which will keep the great heat of the sun away 
from the roots. 
Winter Protection. In the South and Southwest it is not necessary 
to protect the Roses with anything more than a straw or manure mulch 
over the bed. Farther north, where the thermometer may reach zero 
or lower, it is well to hill the Roses up with 8 to 10 inches of soil and 
cover the tops with straw, leaves, or burlap. Remember, the least 
amount of protecting material is the best, because the tops of the 
plant can be smothered with too heavy protection. 
Pruning. Dead wood should be cut out of Rose bushes at any time 
of the year, but at the beginning of each flowering season it is well to 
cut back the live growth more or less severely, depending on the kind 
of flowers you want. If big, handsome blooms of the finest quality are 
desired, the plants should be cut back very hard, leaving only 6 inches 
or so of the stems above ground, and each shoot that arises from these 
stems should be disbudded and allowed to bear only one flower. If 
quantity of Roses is desired instead of quality, the stems may be left 
longer and allowed to bear their flowers in clusters, as most Roses will. 
All newly planted Roses should be cut back very hard. 
Large-flowered climbing Roses need little or no pruning, except to 
take away unnecessary canes or stems which have become diseased. 
The small-flowering Ramblers which bloom on last year’s canes need 
thinning out after a few years in order that they do not become too 
shrubby or overgrown. The best time to do this is right after they have 
finished blooming in early summer. Remove all canes which have 
borne flowers and encourage the new growth which has come up from 
the base to supply the next year’s bloom. 
DIRECTIONS TO CUSTOMERS 
Order Early. The earliest orders escape 
the spring rush, and we can always give them 
better service. Besides, varieties which you 
want may be sold out if you order late. 
Forwarding. All plants, roots, and bulbs 
are shipped by Express, the purchaser paying 
charges. Flower seeds are delivered postpaid 
to any post office in the United States. 
Customers who prefer to have their orders 
come by Parcel Post should add 1 5 per cent 
of the amount of their bill to the remittance. 
Safe Arrival. We guarantee safe arrival 
of all goods sent by Express or Mail to points 
within the United States. If the package is 
damaged or lost, we will replace it when we 
are informed of the fact. Goods are sent in 
other ways only at the purchaser’s risk. 
When shipments do not arrive in reasonable 
time, the customer should inform us, sending 
a copy of the order and other necessary 
information. Claims for damage must be 
made immediately upon receipt of goods. We 
are not responsible for failure after you have 
received your plants in good condition. Keep 
a copy of your order for checking delivery. 
How to Send Money. Our terms are 
Cash. Please send money with order by Post- 
Office Money Order, Express Money Order, 
Bank Draft, or Registered Letter. The cost 
may be deducted from the amount forwarded, 
but we will not be responsible for any order 
or money when not sent in one of those ways. 
Cash should be sent by Registered Letter. 
Coins should be wrapped and the letter 
sealed securely. New postage stamps are 
accepted for small amounts. Orders will not 
be sent C. O. D. unless one-third of the 
amount is sent as evidence of good faith. 
Agents. We employ no agents and are 
responsible only for orders sent direct to us. 
We cannot afford to fill orders amounting 
to less than one doller, unless ten cents is 
sent in addition to the amount of the order. 
This does not apply to seed orders. 
Non-warranty. Most of the failures with 
seeds, plants, and bulbs are due to causes 
entirely beyond our control, such as unfavor¬ 
able weather or soil-conditions, too deep or 
too shallow planting, etc. It is impossible for 
us to guarantee success, and, although we 
take all possible care to supply only goods 
which under proper conditions will produce 
satisfactory results, we give no warranty as 
to description, quality, or productiveness of 
any of the seeds, plants, or bulbs we send out, 
and will not be in any way responsible for the 
crop. Every order for articles named in this 
Catalogue will be executed on these condi¬ 
tions only. Nevertheless, it must be plain to 
everyone who gives the matter the slightest 
thought that it is to our best interest to 
send out stock which not only will grow, but 
prove true to name and description. 
2 
JOS. W. VESTAL & SON 
Box 871 • Little Rock, Ark. 
