64: Sherman Nursery Company, Charles City, Iowa 
Roses 
The Rose has justly been called the Queen 
of Flowers. More time, money and people 
are occupied in its culture, and more pleasure 
derived from it, than in any other flower. 
While other plants receive greater attention in 
certain latitudes and at certain periods, the 
rose is the universal favorite at all times and 
in all places. 
Outdoor Roses are of the widest importance, 
as they are within the reach of all, and with 
judicious selections, will furnish bloom for 
even a longer period than the hothouse vari¬ 
eties. The average house does not furnish the 
temperature and facilities for successful rose 
culture, and so the garden becomes the center 
of interest for lovers of the flower. 
In the JYortli, roses may be enjoyed in almost 
the same profusion as elsewhere—with the ex¬ 
ception of Southern California—provided the 
few simple conditions necessary for their 
growth be given them. 
Sunlight—The first requisite is plenty of sun¬ 
light. It will not do to plant them in a shady 
place, for the sun is needed to warm the soil 
and stimulate the root system. 
Moisture—The next most important require¬ 
ment is moisture. This can only be made cer¬ 
tain by some provision for irrigating the 
ground during the dry periods. It can be taken 
from the water system of the town, or a good 
cheap plan is to have a tank or reservoir filled 
from a well by a windmill. Water should be 
applied by thoroughly soaking the ground so 
that it is full of moisture, much as a hard rain 
of several hours would do it. When in bloom 
the blossoms should not be showered or sprayed 
too much, but the water should run on the 
ground in little ditches from one bush to an¬ 
other until it has taken up all that it will. The 
time to irrigate is before the ground is dry and 
the plants suffering from thirst. Do not spray 
the surface of the ground and imagine that the 
roots have had enough. Be liberal when you 
do water them and then let them go until they 
need more. Usually the ground is wet enough 
early in the spring; but it is sometimes dry 
at that season, and the roots need a wetting 
the first thing after they are uncovered. Dur¬ 
ing the month of October do not water the 
ground, but allow the growth to stop and the 
wood to ripen for winter. 
Soil —The ideal soil for roses is a good rich 
clay loam. They will do well in sandy soil if 
a little clay and plenty of rich manure is mixed 
with it, and it is then generously watered. They 
will not do well in hard clay that is impervious 
to water or in gravel that drains it all away. 
Cultivation —This is very important for it 
helps to stimulate the action of the roots by 
quickly imparting to them the food and drink 
that is applied to the ground. After fertiliz¬ 
ers are applied they should be cultivated in; 
and when the ground is irrigated it should be 
allowed to dry a little on the surface and then 
stirred to make it fine and loose so as to pre¬ 
vent evaporation and drying out. Surface cul¬ 
tivation should be given the ground at least 
once a week, from the time the bushes are un¬ 
covered until October. 
Protection—In late fall, before severe freez¬ 
ing weather sets in, choose a dry time to cover 
the bushes. See that the ground is thoroughly 
wet so that the roots will not dry out during 
the winter, for it will be a long time before they 
will have another chance to take a drink. 
In wintering roses the main thing is to keep 
the bushes dry. I have found the best way to 
do this is to first make a bed of dry straw or 
leaves for the bushes to lie on. It should be six 
or more inches deep. Bend the bushes over 
and lay them gently on the bed and cover 
them with two feet of dry straw, making it 
highest in the middle, much like the roof of 
a house. Then cover the straw with boards. 
Short pieces can be nailed to a ridge pole and 
to a strip at the lower end, making it quite 
steep so as to shed water easily; or boards can 
be used horizontally, by commencing at the 
base of the straw on each side, lapping the 
topboards an inch and using enough nails 
to hold them in place. A narrow board at the 
top can hold the two sides together. Put 
boards at the end to keep out the wet and to 
hold the straw in place. Deaves or hay can 
be used in place of straw. Do not uncover in 
the spring until freezing weather is over, but 
uncover before they start their growth. Where 
there is danger from mice, place poisoned grain 
(see page 22) in small boxes near the plants, 
where they will find it and where any that may 
be left in the spring may be burned up when 
uncovering the plants. 
Planting—The best time to plant is in early 
spring before the bushes have started to grow. 
They should be set two to three inches deep¬ 
er than they grew in the nursery. Mud the 
roots in thick mud before planting and set 
them very firmly. As soon as set cut branches 
back to within six inches of the main stem; 
this is important. 
Pruning—Keep all old dead branches cut out. 
In the spring, prune the tops back to about 
two-thirds of their length and cut off all the 
tops that look black or dry back to the fresh 
buds. 
Diseases and Insects—As in everything else 
the old saying, “An ounce of prevention is 
worth a pound of cure,” holds good in this 
case. The best way to prevent disease in rose 
bushes is to give them good cultivation and 
do all that is necessary to secure a strong vig¬ 
orous growth. Disease always attacks the weak 
more quickly than the strong, and this fact 
must be carefully borne in mind. Thorough 
cultivation is absolutely necessary in combat¬ 
ting disease and insects. 
