CALIFORNIA ROSES. INC. 
has dried sufficiently between waterings for a very light 
cultivation—just a mere scratching. 
When the new shoots appear the plants need some 
feeding. Fill the basin with some v/ell-rotted cow manure, 
care being taken to keep it two or three inches away 
from the trunk at all times. Subsequent irrigations or 
rain will then carry the food to the roots as they need it. 
The mulch so created will cut down the number of water¬ 
ings. One of the best possible mulches is made with 
chopped bean straw or alfalfa, and is full of nitrogen. 
It is advisable to moderately feed each Rose bush with 
commercial plant food every six weeks during the grow¬ 
ing season rather than to apply heavy doses at long 
intervals. 
Pruning 
After the plant is set, prune lightly to a minimum height 
of 12 inches, taking care to remove all interfering inside 
wood. Once properly started the future pruning should 
be light. In fact, proper cutting of flowers reduces prun¬ 
ing to a minimum and does away with the customary 
drastic pruning. When gathering your roses, always 
keep in mind the proper shaping of the bush, provide for 
continuous flowering by leaving at least two good plump 
IE 
buds or eyes on each stem. Always hold the blade of 
the shears toward the eye, incline the guard downwards, 
and make a slanting cut as close to the eye as possible. 
36 
