JUNE I, 1903. 
THE AUSTRALIAN GARDENER, 
is 
HARDY AND TENDER ROSES. 
It will, I think, be generally conceded 
that our modern Roses are, as a rule, far 
more beautiful and far more free-flowering 
than most of the old-fashioned varieties 
still in cultivation. Indeed, the advance 
made during the last thirty or forty years 
towards perfection of form, in variety and 
charm of color, and in floriferousness is 
little short of marvellous. There are, how- 
ever, two important qualities, in which it 
must be confessed many of the old-fashion- 
ed Roses, when compared with those of 
the present day, are superior. They are, 
generally speaking, more sweet-scented, 
and are, moreover, of a hardier constitu- 
tion. 
As regards the latter quality, with which 
we are for the moment more particularly 
concerned, there are but iew of our up-to- 
date Roses which do not suffer to a greater 
or less extent whenever the winter hap- 
pens to be in any way exceptionally 
severe. Take, for instance, the last 
cold winter. The only Roses in 
my collection, with two’ exceptions, 
which passed through it altogether unin- 
jured to the tips of their shoots, and which 
can, therefore, be regarded as perfectly 
hardy, were such very old favorites as the 
common. Provence, or old Cabbage, as it is 
disrespectfully called; its . equally frag- 
rant sister, the common Moss; that ever- 
blooming Scotch Rose which is much less 
frequently grown that it should be, Stan- 
well Perpetual; all the Austrian Briars; 
and that rampant and hardy Ayrshire 
Rose, Bennett’s Seedling or Thoresbyana. 
Two of the pioneers of the Hybrid Perpe- 
tual race—Jules Margottin and Duchess of 
Sutherland—were but slightly injured. 
Now, the only modern Roses in my garden 
which could compare with the foregoing in 
hardiness—if we adopt the same severe 
test, and except such single-flowered varie- 
ties as some of the Rugosas and Hybrid 
Sweet Briars—were that charming Hybrid 
Tea, Gustav Regis and Crimson Rambler. 
Among the Roses most largely grown in 
the present day, the Hybrid Perpetuals 
are undoubtedly the least tender. In this 
class the varieties which are more or less 
thorny stand, I find, hard winters the best, 
especially A. K. Williams, Mme. Gabriel 
Luizet, and Marie Baumann. On the other 
hand, such smooth-wooded kinds as Com- 
tesse d’Oxford, Pride of Waltham, Rey- 
nolds-Hole, and the like are remarkably 
susceptible to frost. Next in their ability 
to withstand keen winters come the Hy- 
brid Teas, some few of which—for instance, 
La France and Gustave Regis—are quite 
as hardy as the hardiest of the H.P.’s. At 
the bottom of this scale of hardiness we 
must unfortunately place that lovely sec- 
tion, the Teas and Noisettes. 
These tender, or at best only half hardy 
Teas and Noisettes, are, as is well-known, 
among the choicest and most delicately 
tinted of all Roses, and are, therefore, well 
worthy of any extra care and attention 
they may require in border to preserve 
them from severe injuries during the win- 
ter months. All varieties are by no means 
equally tender. Of those least susceptible 
to cold may be mentioned Francisca Kru- 
ger, Mme. Lambard, Anna Ilivier, Varo- 
line Kuster (Noisette), Souvenir d’un smi, 
and Souvenir de S. A. Prince. 
Mme. de Watteville, and Niphetos suffer 
most keenly during periods of severe or 
prolonged frost. In all 
BLEAK AND EXXposED SITUATIONS, 
and particularly where tne soil is cold and 
retentive, Tea Roses should be grown—as 
recommended many years ago by Mr. 
George Paul—in beds raised a few inches 
above the general level of the ground. This 
plan will tend to keep the beds warmer 
and drier than they otherwise would be. 
In cold districts it will also be well to thin 
out all the sappy shoots, in order to arrest 
any further growth of the plants, and at 
the same time by admitting additional 
light and air to enable those that remain 
to become better ripened before the win- 
ter sets in. 
I have tried many methods of protect- 
ing both dwarf and standard Teas, and 
have come to the conclusion that, after al), 
the simplest and the most easily applied 
prove in the end the best. For instance, 
dwarf plants need only have the surround- 
ing soil drawn over their crowns to the 
height of 4 in. or 5 in. in order to pre- 
serve them from serious injury. In severe 
winter the shoots rising above the covering 
of soil may be, and no doubt will be, 
greatly damaged; but when these shoots 
are cut away at pruning time the plants 
will in most cases start again into growth 
as vigorously as usual. . Further protec- 
tion, if desired, may be afforded by twist- 
ing in lightly pieces of bracken among 
these shoots. I have, however, invariably 
found that such additional protection, al- 
though doubtless of some service in mode- 
rate winters, was rather harmful than 
otherwise during a very mild one, and not 
sufficient to do any real good in any win- 
ter of exceptional severity. Many apply 
a mulching of manure to the beds in the 
autumn, but the earthing-up method is 
preferable, as it affords the plants more 
efficient: protection without ‘keeping the 
soil in a cold and sodden state should the 
winter prove wet. 
Stanparp THAS 
are the most difficult to protect. Of all 
the plans I have tried, the following I 
have found the most effectual. In the first 
instance, to shield the most vulnerable part 
of the plants from injury a hay band should 
be wound round the junction of the Rose 
with the stock. Then, in order to prevent 
rain finding its way into the centre of the 
head, the best shoots should be gathered 
together and fastened as far as practicable 
in a conical form to the top of: a stake 
firmly driven into the ground and passing - 
through the head of the plant and above 
it. Some straw should then be combed 
out and the head lightly thatched with it, 
and the upper ends secured to the stake, 
Whereas | 
such kinds as Sunset, Perle des Jardins, 
adding one or two horizontal ties lower 
down to keep the straw in its place during 
high winds. It will be found helpful in 
carrying out this method of protection to 
cut out in the first instance all the soft and 
sappy shoots. 
For climbing Roses on walls I find that 
fine cotton matting or, failing this, a 
double thickness or ordinary fish-netting, 
arranged loosely, but firmly secured over 
them, will be found in all but very excep- 
tional cases sufficiently effectual. This 
plan has the further advantage of. 
not .excluding light and air from 
the shoots, so that they do not become 
as tender as when a mat or other 
close material is used in a similar 
way. Another jplan would be to place 
pieces of fir or bracken among the 
branches. While on the question of bracken 
I may say that this fern to be of any real 
service should be cut early in the season, 
for if cut when it has turned quite brown 
it becomes brittle and of comparatively 
little value. 
When several mild winters occur in suc- 
cession the tendency is to undervalue pro- 
tection of any kind, or, at all events, to 
defer affording any shelter to Tea Roses 
until reminded of its necessity by the sud- 
den advent of an unusually severe frost, 
when no earthing-up of the dwarf plants is 
possible and the thatching of the heads of 
the standards is equally impracticable. 
Under such circumstances the only thing 
to be done is to place some bracken or dry 
leaves round the dwarfs and work in some 
bracken or light evergreens into the heads 
of the standards. 
But the wise yosarian will not allow 
himself to be caught napping in this way, 
but will arrange some fixed date in the 
early winter, and, having a_ supply of 
bracken and straw ready, will at once pro- 
ceed to carry out the foregoing or similar 
directions for the safety of his Teas. I 
mention a supply of bracken because, 
should the sod in the beds be saturated, 
some of this can be tucked round the lower 
part of the dwarf plants in order to keep 
the wet soil coming into direct contact with 
the shoots. None but the enthusiastic Rose 
grower can appreciate the feeling of com- 
fort and relief which comes over him 
whenever a sharp frost sets in unexpected- 
ly, when he knows that all his delicate © 
Roses have long since been securely pro- 
tected, and that no cold wind or keen frost 
that may follow can seriously injure them. 
—Epwp. Maw try in“ The Garden.” 
a eSssssseseses 
“« Sricks.”—Various methods are in vogue 
for supporting Carnations. A favoured idea 
in England is the use of wire netting 
doubled like a V upside down between the 
rows. Another is the overhead method, with 
strings drawn across beds from supports. 
The most effective, however, appears to be 
the use of a wire netting about eigh- 
teen inches high :placed around © the 
plant. : 
