389 
JOURNAL  OJA  HORTICULTURE  AND  COTTAGE  GARDENER, 
May  5,  1904. 
How  to  Produce  Good  Liberty  Rcs:s. 
(Essay  read  by  A.  FarenwaUl,  of  IlillsiJe,  Pa.,  before  the  I'loiiits’  Club  of 
1‘hilrtclelphia,  March  1,  19M.) 
In  giving  j;ou  my  cxperimicos  in  grotving  Liberties,  I  have 
omitted  the  grbwing  of  young  plants  from  cuttings,  as  that  is 
so  well  understood,  and,  besides,  Liberty  is  one  of  the  easiest 
propagated  Hoses  in  existence.  1  have  divided  my  subject  into 
seven  different  topics,  namely — 1st,  soil;  2nd,  planting;  3rd, 
watering;  4th,  manuring;  5th,  disbudding;  6th,  cutting;  7th, 
temperature  and  ventilation,  making  them  as  plain  as  possible, 
in  language  and  expression,  using  no  high  “  trotting  ”  sentences 
to  bewilder  myself  and  you.  I  hope  that  from  these  plain  facts 
regarding  the  growing  of  this,  one  of  our  finest  and  gi-andest  red 
Hoses  in  trade,  .some  of  you  will  gather  points  which  will  enable 
you  to  solve  the  knotty  question,  “  How  to  produce  fine  Liberty 
blooms?” 
A  good,  suitable  soil  for  Roses  is  one  of  the  most  important 
factors  in  Ro.se  growing.  If  that  is  at  hand,  success  is  Avithin 
easy  reach  of  any  careful  groAver.  My  soil  is  a  heavy  gravelly 
loam,  Avith  a  good  sod  on  top  of  it  ;  before  ploughing  it  doAvn, 
I  give  it  a  good  dressing  (about  Sin)  of  good  coav  manure.  It 
is  then  ploughed  oA’er  as  deep  as  a  tAvo-horse  plough  can  Avork  it. 
After  this  it  is  kept  cultivated  for  about  a  month,  being  then 
again  ploughed,  and  kejjt  mdtivated  till  used.  This  Avork  is 
generally  begun  about  the  first  Aveek  in  April. 
The  soil  being  Avell  prepared  outside,  I  put  in  the  young  plants 
AA'ithout  adding  any  commercial  fertilisers,  as  the  coav  manure  is 
sufficient  to  begin  AA'ith.  I  belieAm  that  those  highly  concen¬ 
trated  fertilisers  force  a  plant  too  quickly  to  maturity,  that  is, 
to  liard  AA'ood,  Avhich  I  do  not  Avant  to  be  the  case  Avith  the 
Liberty.  Young  plants  I  put  in  from  loin  to  18in  apart, 
preferring  to  plant  from  June  1  to  the  middle  of  July,  Avhich 
Avill  .give  a  good  succession  of  crops.  I  have  groAvn  Avith  equal 
success  both  in  shalloAV  and  solid  benches. 
Watering’. 
The  young  plants  Avill  not  need  much  water  till  about  five  to 
six  AA’eeks  after  planted,  Avhen  they  Avill  commence  to  groAv 
nicely,  and  Avill  then  take  an  abnndance  of  water,  even  more  so 
than  any  other  Rose  that  has  ever  come  under  my  care.  If  not 
kept  Avell  Avatered  they  Avill  get  yelloAA-  leaves,  as  the  roots  seem 
to  have  a  tendency  of  spreading  out  near  the  surface,  which 
makes  them  suffer  at  once  if  they  happen  to  get  too  dry.  The 
Avood  Avill  commence  to  harden,  and  Avill  be  slow  to  break  out 
aneAv.  I  .syringe  during  the  summer  every  day  Avhen  clear. 
ToAvards  the  latter  part  of  September  I  stop  syringing  too  often 
overhead,  as  by  that  time  most  of  the  plants  AA'ill  have  made 
plenty  of  top  groAvth,  and  from  that  time  on  I  try  to  induce 
tu’eaks  to  come  from  the  base,  Avhich  I  think  too  much  syringing 
overhead  Avill  hinder,  as  it  Avill  keep  eyes  on  the  top  groAvth 
continuously  breaking  into  small  groAvth',  Avhich  is  not  desirable 
during  the  fall  and  Avinter,  as  I  believe  rather  in  quality  of 
Roses  than  in  quantity.  I  keep  soil  ahvays  in  a  moist,  goo(i 
groAving  condition,  but  never  soaky.  I  use  Avater  direct  out  of  a 
well  which  has  an  even  temperature  all  through  the  season, 
about  52deg  to  54deg. 
I  d(3n’t  commence  to  top-dress  till  latter  part  of  August  and 
beginning  of  September.  Then  I  put  on  a  top-dressing  of  coav 
manure.  I  prefer  to  put  this  in  little  ridges  between  roAvs, 
covering  it  Avith  soil  to  preA’ent  the  escape  of  ammonia  as  much 
as  possible,  and  its  getting  Avashed  off  too  quickly  from  the 
benches.  _Tavo  to  three  Aveeks  after  this  first  midch  I  have  been 
in  the  habit  of  putting  on  a  sprinkling  of  dried  blood.  This  has 
to  be  done  very  carefully,  as  blood  is  very  strong  in  ammonia, 
and  apt  to  take  off  a  big  crop  of  leaves  if  put  on  too  strong. 
I  put  it  in  small  streaks  on  either  side  of  a  I’ow,  2in  to  3in  Avide, 
just  thick  enough  to  cover  the  ground,  and  also  covering  it  Avith 
soil.  From  then  on,  and  following  this,  every  two  or  three 
weeks,  according  to  the  health  and  groAving  condition  of  the 
plant  and  the  Aveather,  I  put  on  sheep  mannre,  bone  flour,  Avood 
ashes,  and  poudrette,  either  mixing  these  together  in  equal 
quaiitities  or  by  themselves,  but  never  at  any  time  putting  it  on 
too  heavy.  I  Avoidd  rather  do  it  a  few  times  oftener;' and  not 
endanger  the  health  of  the  plants.  In  March  I  put  on  another 
IaA;er  of  coav  manui’e,  and  by  the  time  it  is  spent  I  use  the  fer- 
tdisers  mentioned  before  till  -June,  Avhen  it  winds  up  the  season. 
I  have  ahvays  used  plenty  of  all  sorts  of  manures,  as  I  believe 
that  a  plant  Avhicli;  has  to  Avork  out  of  season,  and  receiving  so 
many  Avatering^,  should  have  plenty  of  nourishment  all  tbe 
time,  never  giving  it  a  chance  to  become  dormant  for  want  cf 
proper  nourishment. 
Disbudding-. 
I  consider  that  the  pinching  out  process  is  the  most  important 
factor  in  the  pioduction  of  strong,  vigorous  plants,  able  to  stand 
the  strain  of  luavy  cutting  in  the  dark  months  of  Avinter.  We 
knoAv  that  the  formation  of  buds  and  flowers  taxes  the  strength 
and  vigour  of  the  plant  to  the  utmo.st.  Therefoi-e  it  naturally 
seeks  a  rest  after  this  exertion.  Some  Roses  Avill  recover  faster 
from  it  than  others  ;  Liberty  is  one  of  the  sloAvest  of  these  to 
reo'Dver.  Lver  since  I  commenced  to  groAv  Liberties  I  haA’e  fol- 
loAA’ed  tiio  practice  of  carefully  disbudding  from  the  cutting  on. 
After  they  are  planted  in  benches  a  fcAv  months  the  production 
of  buds  Avill  be  quite  plentiful.  I  then  make  it  a  practice  to  go 
oA'^er  them  every  other  day,  pinching  out  the  buds  as  soon  as  they 
can  be  gotten  bold  of,  but  taking  no  leaA-es  Avith  them,  except  on 
suckers,  AAdiich  I  cut  back  three  to  four  eyes,  because,  if  pinched 
too  close  to  the  top  they  Avill  break  into  very  short-stemmed 
buds,  Avhich  is  undesirable  on  the  stronger  Avood. 
This  continuous  disbudding,  Avhich  stops  the  sap  from  flowing 
to  the  buds  and  fioAA’ers,  seems  to  irritate  the  dormant  eyes 
at  the  base  of  the  plant,  and  they  finally  break  into  fine  canes, 
Avhicli  AA’ill  make  grand  floAvers.  In  September  and  October, 
Avhen  plants  begin  to  make  longer-stemmed  floAvers,  lOin  to  18in 
long,  Avhich  I  do  not  care  to  have  in  bloom  for  another  month, 
I  cut  them  back  three  eyes  to  induce  them  to  break  strong 
again.  If  pinched  too  close  to  the  top  a  short -stemmed  floAver 
Avill  be  the  result.  This  practice  enables  us  to  have  crops  in 
succession.  I  continue  this  disbudding  all  through  the  Avinter, 
carefully  taking  off  all  buds  up  to  oin  and  Gin  in  length  of  stem, 
as  floAA'ers  of  that  cla.ss  are  little  thought  of,  and  the  benefit  of 
the  retarded  sap  and  the  saving  of  the  foliage  and  Avood  Avill 
prolong  its  blooming  capacity. 
This  may  seem  to  many  unnecessary:  in  fact,  I  knoAv  that 
many  groAvers  do  not  believe  in  it  ;  but  I  hold  that  it  is  the 
most  important  point  to  succes.sfully  bloom  TJberty  in  AA’inter. 
Cutting-. 
To  cut  right  is  a  point  I  am  particularly  careful  about. 
Nothing  Avill  spoil  the  successful  blooming  of  Liberties  as  quickly 
as  careless  cutting.  One  should  alAA  ays  remember  that  Ave  Avant 
floAA’ers  all  through  the  AA’inter.  To  illustrate  my  point  better : 
Take  a  plant  Avith  eight  buds  on,  Avhich  Avould  all  come  Avithin 
a  Aveek  or  tAvo.  I  Avould  pinch  three  or  four  buds.aAvay,  if  this 
is  in  September  or  October,  Avhich  Avould  bring  them  in  seven  to 
eight  Aveeks  later.  It  Avill  give  four  buds  at  a  better  price, 
besides  not  hurting  the  plants  as  much  as  if  I  had  cut  all  those 
long-stem  buds  off  at  once,  the  plant  Avould  have  received  such 
a  check  as  Avould  take  all  AA'inter  to  overcome.  In  other  Avords, 
I  do  not  Avant  them  to  come  all  at  once  ;  avoid  crops. 
Plants  put  in  benches  by  June  1,  Avill,  if  thej'  liaAm  done  Avell. 
be  fit  to  cut  by  beginning  of  October.  They  may  have  produced 
strong  enough  wood  in  August  to  tempt  the  groAver  to  cut  som? 
blooms,  but  I  find  that  if  cut  too  soon  they  Avill  not  produce 
floAvers  in  midAvinter,  nor  Avill  they  throAV  up  so  strong  canes 
from  base  later  on.  I  consider  that  four  months  of  groAvth  is 
the  least  the  plants  should  have  before  starting  to  cut,  and  even 
then  I  take  nothing  but  the  strongest  Avood,  cutting  everything 
up  to  12in  back. 
Wood  lOin  to  12in  long  or  longer  in  October  should  be  cut 
back  tAVO  or  three  eyes.  If  the  bud  is  only  pinched  out,  it 
AA’oidd  make  an  inferior  bud  at  the  next  eye. 
Strong  Avood — that  is,  canes  from  the  base — should  not  be 
cut  too  loAv,  as  it  is  too  hard  and  sIoav  to  break.  It  should  have 
12in  to  15in  of  stem  left,  Avhen  it  Avill  break  in  reasonable  time. 
In  cutting  the  floAvers,  I  am  very  careful  to  cut  them  right, 
that  is,  the  outer  petals  expanded  ;  of  course,  in  the  fall  and 
spring  I  cut  closer.  I  cut  three,  and  even  four,  times  a  day, 
according  to  Aveather  and  demand,  for  they  must  be  in  as  fine 
a  shape  AAdien  they  reach  the  dealer  as  they  can  possibly  be 
gotten.  After  they  have  been  in  Avater  for  about  tAventy-four 
hours  in  a  cool  place,  they  are  fit  to  be  shipped.  If  not  Avell 
soaked,  the  long-stemmed  Liberty,  in  particular,  are  ea.sily 
Avilted,  and  Avill  be  a  disappointment  to  all  concerned. 
Tempenatupe  and  Ventilation 
In  the  early  part  of  fall,  AA’hen  the  groAvth  of  the  plants  is 
soft,  I  have  ahvays  tried  to  maintain  a  temperature  of  62deg  to 
64deg,  Avith  a  little  air  on,  if  possibh-,  at  night,  with  a ,  day 
temperature,  on  clear  days,  from  85deg  to  fiOdeg,  Avhile  on  cloudy 
days  a  temperature  as  near  TOdeg  as  po.ssible.  As  soon  as  they 
commence  to  bloom  I  reduce  these  temperatures  to  58deg  and 
GOdeg  at  night,  and  75deg  to  80deg  during  the  day  in  fine 
weather,  GSdeg  to  70deg  on  a  cloudy  day  folloAving  a  bright  day, 
and  if  there  is  a  succession  of  cloudy  days,  have  it  cioAvn  to 
Godeg,  as  too  high  a  temperatip-e.  ah  njglit.  Avill  spoil  the  colour. 
After  the  first  planting  of  the  young  stock  I  use  Amntilation 
sparingly,  gradually  increa.sing  a^g  the  plants  take  hold. 
The  Liberty  is  very  sensitive ‘to  draugbt,  not  that  it  Avill 
shoAV  mildeAV  by  it,  but  it  retai'di^  the  groAA’th.  Plants  Avill 
harden  and  stand  for  months  before  they  get  over  such  a  check  ; 
therefore  great  care  should  be  exercised  on  Avindy  davs,  in  a 
siuo'le  b.o'ise,  and  more  so  Avhere  the  houses  are  built  to'-’cther 
