8 
The Old Rose Gardens, COLCHESTER 
THINNING AND SUCKERING —While the plants are growing don’t allow too many shoots on 
a branch or to a plant. Select the best formed buds and remove some of the small side ones in order to 
obtain the best and most perfect flowers. Look out for suckers (i.e., wild wood which breaks out from 
the root under the ground), cut them close back to the stock. A small spud can be used to clear the soil 
and enable the knife to cut the sucker off at the joint. They will occasionally pull clean off by hand if 
carefully tried, but this is not always easy or effectual, and if any part of the sucker lemains it quickly 
grows again. 
TO DESTROY GREEN FLY AND CATERPILLARS -There are many Insecticides advertised 
such as Nirotene Soap, Jeyes’ Horticultural Wash, etc., which will destroy green fly, but they must be 
used in the cool of the evening. 
Caterpillars and maggots can only be destroyed by careful hand picking. These will easily be found 
by the curling up of the foliage or small perforation of the leaves. 
DISEASES. 
MILDEW,— The best cure for this is to spray the plants with Jeyes’ Horticultural Wash immediately 
it makes its appearance ; and to repeat the spraying at an interval of about a week. This should be done 
in the cool of the evening, after sundown. 
RED FUNGUS OR RUST seldom comes until late in the flowering season, and appears impossible 
to stop. It does not, however, permanently injure the plants, and it is a singular fact that the Tea-scented 
and Noisette Roses never suffer from this disease ; the high-coloured Hybrid Perpetuals seem the most 
liable to it. As a safeguard against attack next season all infected foliage should be gathered up and burned. 
ROSES IN POTS. 
FOR CULTIVATION IN COOL HOUSES AND FOR FORCING— The best way togrowthese 
is to procure plants at least one year established in their pots. Top dress with fresh soil and manure in 
the autumn and keep them plunged outdoors till winter is almost upon them, then take under glass keeping 
the temperature of the house cool as possible, only using heat to banish frost. Pruning need not be done 
for at least a fortnight, and during this period no water should be given ; this will thoroughly harden the 
wood, and what foliage remains will drop off, which is natural, and will the better let in light to the centre 
of the plant. Prune hard back the general run of Teas and Hybrids to three or four eyes from the base, 
cut out any weak or bad wood, leaving centre of the plants open. For Climbers with several shoots cut 
the weakest shoots hard back to induce growth from the base, and leave the long strong shoots about three 
parts their length ; prune in January for flowering in April (earlier or later as you may wish to have them 
in bloom). 
In bright weather syringe the heads daily with chilled water (avoiding the flowers when in colour), 
this will keep the foliage clean, promote growth, and maintain a moist atmosphere in the house. Smoke 
the house to destroy green fly ; this, however, must not be done on a bright day, or w'hen the plants are 
damp, the evening is generally the best time. The morning after fumigating, if bright, give the plants 
a thorough good syringing to remove the dead fly and clean the plants. Maggots can only be destroyed 
by careful hand picking. 
Be careful in giving air on cold windy days, as a direct draught is likely to cause mildew', a most 
troublesome disease, the best preventive is flour of sulphur, made into a paste with water, and painted 
on the hot water pipes, and fi these are hotter than usual, so much the better,as the sulphur fumes are also 
a good preventive lor red spider. Dust the mildew affected parts of the plants with the flour of sulphur, 
or syringe with a veak solution of Jeyes’ Horticultural Wash. 
Top ventilation is best, and shade should be given during hot weather by light blinds or syringing 
the roof and sides with whiting and skim milk. 
Water the plants when required, using water of same temperature as the house, and occasionally 
give weak solutions of liquid manure, cow droppings and soot, also bone meal and guano are good fer¬ 
tilizers. This' “ feeding " of the plants can be slightly increased as they begin to show flowers. 
After flowering, the plants should be plunged outdoors, but, for a time, must be frequently watered, 
to keep in healthy condition and to promote growth for next season’s flowering, later on they can be gradually 
hardened off by decreasing the supply of water. 
Some prefer to purchase ground plants and pot them up. The treatment for these would be the 
same, but they should be potted in early autumn and kept outdoors till frost comes, then remove to cool 
frames, bringing into the house when no fire heat is required and flowering them about May or early in 
June. The next and following seasons they can be forced for rvinter flowering it required. 
