RULES FOR THE MANAGEMENT OF ROSES.

Daily Telegraph (Napier), Issue 3528, 28 October 1882, Page 4

RULES FOR THE MANAGEMENT OF ROSES.

A celebrated cultivator of the rose once put in a popular form the following rules for the guidance of those who delight in managing their own plants, but have not the leisure or inclination to study their habits and requirements:— 1. The best soil for roses is a strong loam, "well enriched with decayed stable manure. If the soil is not of this nature it should be improved by the addition of such as far as possible. 2. For light soils use cow-dung, and other close-binding manures, instead of stable manure, merely using the latter for mulching early in May. 3. Prune at the seasons ; thin out the supernumerary shoots in November, and shorten those that are left in March. 4. Eemember that the slimmer roses should be thinned more freely, and shortened less, than the autumnals. 5. Always cut back the shoots to a bud that has a tendency to grow outwards, rubbing out those buds that are directed inwards. 6. Destroy aphides as soon as seen, by brushing them off or washing the shoots with tobacco-water, or some such article out of doors ; and by fumigating with tobaccosmoke under glass. 7. Check mildew by dusting sulphur on the leaves while moist with rain or dew. 8. Water freely throughout the growing season if very dry. To this rule can be added that it is highly beneficial to the jslants to be sprinkled overhead in dry weather; the foliage derives great benefit from this.

9. Never buy old roses on the manetti stock, until you hare proved that they will not flourish in your soil, either on the dogrose, or on their own roots. The new rosea you must buy on the manetli stock, or wait till they tire raised by the of budding, or by cuttings, 10. Avoid plants that have been 'coddled' by being raised and grown in heat during the early stages of existence. Thousands of roses are annually sold which have the seeds of disease and early death primarily sown in them by the forcing process. Such, if they live, do not grow vigorously, and often remain stationary or feeble for a length of time. 11. At whatever season roses on their roots are purchased, they should be planted in the open ground in spring and summer only (May, June, or July) ; once established they may remain permanently there. 12. Eoses in pots should be re-pot ted, removing a portion of the old soil, eai'ly every autumn ; they require closer pruning than the same sort growing in the ground ; they should be watered with weak liquid manure as soon as the young leaves expand, and until the flowering is over. 13. Eoses intended for forcing should be brought into a state of rest in August or September, and be pruned shortly afterwards. 14. Roses under glass should bo shaded when coming into bloom, but with a slight shading only, such as tiffany, scrim or a kindred material. 15. Most of the tea-scented roses thrive best under glass, and are worthy of this especial care. 1 hey may be grown in pots in a cold pit or house, or be planted out in a house—standard or dwarf—with or without heat. 16. Buy only such now roses as are recommended from trustworthy sources. A new rose that is not at the least equal to or differing from all its predecessors is not worth growing ; and to grow su'jh is almost as disappointing as to read a new book not worthy the time occupied in the perusal. 17. When growing for exhibition look to form and color as well as to size : the day has gone by for mere bulk to triumph over symmetry of form and variety and brillancy of color, whother in pot roses or others.

Such rules as these could be extended indefinitely ; it has been the aim of the author to give such as would bring out tlie cardinal points of rose-growing, leaving the cultivator to construct others as they may be suggested from experience.