FERTILIZERS 
If you must fertilize the first year, use a balanced com¬ 
mercial fertilizer that is quickly soluble and only after you 
have had several inches of growth and use a great deal of 
water with it. 
Give potash always during growing season—preferably 
in the form of nitrate of potash (saltpetre)—at the rate of 
about the size of a walnut dissolved in one gallon of 
water for two plants every three weeks. Potash is prob¬ 
ably the most important fertilizer even though small 
amounts are needed as it means health. 
Next is nitrogen and following that vast amounts of 
water; in fact, to get results give roses as much water as 
is required for a good lawn. 
Whatever phosphoric acid fertilizer you use whenever 
practicable mix it with manure or plant material that 
will decay. 
Never under any consideration dig a hole or trench 
and put undecayed plant material or manure under plant. 
Never spade any trash or manure deeper than 4 to 6 inches 
to get best results, and then only after plants are estab¬ 
lished. 
WATERING 
If necessary to water with a sprinkler do it early in 
the day so the foliage will dry promptly. 
Six hours of damp foliage from fog, dew, or rain will 
allow fungus spores to take hold. 
Do not let a crust form but cultivate around the plants 
and make a dust mulch after every heavy rain or water¬ 
ing. 
WINTER PROTECTION 
The best winter protection is to hill earth around the 
stems of the plants to a height of 8 inches. Let this freeze 
and then cover with strawy manure, evergreen boughs or 
other open, loose material, the object being to prevent sun 
and drying winds from reaching the branches of the roses 
while they are still frozen. 
REMEMBER 
If you keep it always in mind that plants are living 
organisms subject to the effects of heat, cold, drought, and 
hunger in their own way, somewhat like ourselves, and if 
you treat them accordingly, then you will have greater 
chance of success than will people who are indifferent to 
this fact. 
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