ROSE CULTURE.

Manawatu Herald, Volume XLII, Issue 2206, 23 November 1920, Page 3

ROSE CULTURE.

VALUABLE HINTS EUR

AMATEURS

An interesting' and informative paper on rose culture was delivered before the "Brooklyn Horticultural Society'by Mr J. G. Helyar, expresident of the Kerang (Victoria) Horticultural Society, member of the National Bose Society ol Victoria, and now president ot the Hull ('alley Horticultural Society. Mr Helyar conlined his remarks vei’v largely to answering the contention that the results secured by growing roses did not compensate the grower for all the trouble he Has' to lake. While admitting that there was something in the argument, lie maintained that those* who advaneed it saw ail the difficulties and drawbacks without grasping and appreciating the many pleasures and advantages to he derived Iroin rose culture, it was argued by some that for half the year the rose garden Wits not worth looking at, and that after pruning all that was lett wtis a lot of hare, unsightly sticks. He contended that next to cutting a beautiful hunch of roses there was nothing that gave the grower so much satisfaction as pruning. With the plants neatly pruned and till the titter removed and burnt, tile lost "■arden was a sight worth seeing. Following that came the joy of walching the wood buds swelling and the young lender foliage breaking forth in till its varied tints. He dealt briefly with aphis, and said that if the plants were kept growing strongly the grower could simp his lingers at the post. If a weak plant was attacked he advised the grower to give it a good watering with clean water, and' added that if a spray was desired good recipes Acre to he found in any nurseryman’s catalogue,- Mildew was easily prevented bv giving liie beds, while the foliage uus still young, a good dusting with sulphur occasionally, and allowing I l,e sun to cause the fumes to rise around the plant. Mr Melyar stressed the need, in the even! of ram not giving the plants their natural shower hath, of providing a good cleansing with the hose. He admitted that thrip was a formidable eu,~,nv which could not he dealt with effectively hy spraying. Covering lhe blooms must therefore he praeiised, anil it would he found that ;m v trouble involved thereby would bo more than repaid by the blooms secured. Thrip lost its sting by the ~(■ November. Then, about the plpnts were showing the effect ol the hot weather by producing blooms of reduced size, a little judicious pruning or trimming would reiavigorale them. .Finally, Mr Helvar urged the need for being just ns careful in the proparatem ol the noil for planting roses singly as for making of a bed. .