i;8 
THE GARDENING WORLD. 
March 7, 1908. 
THE 
- HOSES - 
We prune our plants that they may be 
From useless wood and foliage free; 
Manure them well with thought and care, 
That they may better Roses bear. 
God prunes and feeds each living heart, 
That it may share “the better part.” 
—Baynton-Taylor. 
Work for March. 
March is the time for pruning all out¬ 
door Rose plants, with the exception of 
Teas. The second week is quite soon 
enough for H.P.’s except in the south, 
where we may commence earlier. Teas 
should have their winter protections re¬ 
moved at the end of the month — on no 
account remove it earlier — as the weather, 
however fair it seems, is not to be trusted. 
The protection does not force on too 
early growth, but retards it somewhat. 
Protection certainly does cause some 
shoots to grow long, as they are not 
checked by the frost; but this makes no 
practical difference, as they would in any 
case have to be removed. 
Planting may still be done in suitable 
weather, always avoiding days when east 
winds blow, as they quickly dry the roots 
and damage the plants. After planting 
you will probably require to water the 
plants freely for some time, preferably 
with weak liquid manure. The roots of 
all plants moved at this season should be 
kept in water (or, I prefer thin mud), as 
long as they are out of the ground. 
To retard Teas (if you wish it), a thick 
heavy mulch of long wet manure should 
be applied now, as that helps to maintain 
the coldness of the ground, and this 
checks the plants considerably. Be very 
careful to regulate the Marechal Niel 
Roses under glass, and be on the watch 
for the attacks of mildew and aphides, 
so as to check them when they first ap¬ 
pear. 
Roses in pots will bear more heat as 
the light increases, but it is well to re¬ 
member that all Roses, whether under 
glass or in the open, bear their largest 
and best-coloured flowers in slightly 
lowered temperature. 
Budded stocks must now be carefully 
staked, and the buds closely examined for 
grub, which often makes its appearance 
towards the end of the month. So im¬ 
portant are the operations of planting 
and pruning that it may be well to explain 
the science of them for the benefit of 
those who have no other opportunity of 
gaining such knowledge, and as a re¬ 
minder to the experienced amateur, of im¬ 
portant points which it is so easy to for¬ 
get. ' 
The very severe pruning to which many 
of our finest Roses are subjected may 
seem a needless cruelty, but there is a 
natural reason for it. 
If you watch an unpruned Rose plant, 
you will notice that the first strong shoot 
flowers well in its second season; then 
another strong shoot starts either lower 
down or from the base of the plant. This 
second shoot absorbs the sap, so that the 
original shoot is starved. A third shoot 
in turn starves the second shoot, and so 
on. .If all of these shoots are allowed to 
remain and share the sap we get a very 
weak plant; but if, after flowering, the 
first shoot is removed, the second shoot 
gets a full supply of sap, and is conse¬ 
quently stronger and more productive un¬ 
til in its turn it is removed for its suc¬ 
cessor, the third, shoot. The objects of 
pruning are:—First, to distribute the life 
and strength equally to produce a well¬ 
shaped and well-balanced plant, thus ob¬ 
taining larger and better shaped and 
coloured flowers. We see, then, that 
utilise the full power of the sap we mi 
prune freely, so as to distribute it to tl 
best advantage. Obviously all de; 
wood, all weakly and unripened shoe 
must be cut away before the others a 
pruned for shaping the tree. Prune H.P 
fully, H.T.'s very moderately, and Te 
but little. 
Before you commence carefully stu< 
the plant, so that you may prune it to tl 
best advantage. As the top bud on ea< 
shoot is the first to grow in the directic 
in which it points, we must sglect o> 
pruning point accordingly. Always c 
back to a bud pointing outwardly, so th 
the centre of the plant may be kept opei 
All misplaced shoots should be cut clea 
away from the very bottom. 
The Amount of pruning is regulate 
chiefly by the object for which you gro 
Roses ; if for exhibition, you must subje' 
them to the severest kind of pruning, <1 
as to obtain one, or at most a few, vei 
large and deeply coloured blooms; if ft 
ordinary garden decoration, with a gre. 
number of smaller and lighter coloure 
flowers, your pruning must be very mod 1 
rate. 
In proportion to the strength of tl 
Potato Toogood’s Thousandfold 
Now that Potatos are not selling for 
more than their weight in gold, there is 
no need to hurry all sorts of varieties on 
the market. After a considerable amount 
of trial Messrs. Toogood and Sons, South¬ 
ampton, have acquired a good opinion of 
this variety, both as an exhibition Potato 
and for table use. It is a white kidney 
with oblong tubers of regular outline, 
smooth on the surface, and marked by 
very shallow eyes even at the apex of the 
tuber. The name was given on account 
of the remarkable productiveness of the 
variety. 
The tubers are of excellent quality for 
the table, and hitherto they have been 
notably free from disease, even in a we 
season like the past. It is an early mic 
season variety, and being of handsom 
form, it is also invaluable for exhibitio 
purposes. It is also a Potato for usefull 
occupying a place in the garden, as th 
tubers may be sprouted in spring befor 
being planted out, and a good return fror 
them obtained in the restricted area c 
garden, ground that can be spared for thi 
class of vegetable. The illustration ha 
been placed at our disposal by Messrs 
Toogood and Sons, who introduced th 
variety into commerce. They are seeds 
men by appointment to H.M. The King 
and were so for 50 years to H.M. the lar 
Queen Victoria. 
. , 5< •; 
Potato Toogood’s Thousandfold. 
Toogood and Sons 
