Decorah-posten., 1897-11-12
Lawn, Shrub, and Flower.
Edited By psor Q 4. oLlvrs.
Winter Covering for Ont. Door Roses.

Winter Covering for Out Door Roses.
There are three methods OF COW
ering roses tor winter which are
perfectly reliable. Autumn leaves
form a natural and very clean
shelter. The stalks must be so
covered that the sunlight will not
fall upon them. Any device that
will keep the leaves in place will
be satisfactory. Another plan is
to cover the PROSTATE bush with
thoroughly rotted manure until
the stalks are, at least, four inches
beneath the surface.
If the manure is not well rot
ted, do not cover till winter has
fairly set in and the frost strong
enough to prevent heating or fer
mentation. Many cover roses
with very coarse manure; a heavy
rain, or a period of wet weather,
follows; sunshine and warm winds
chase away the frost, and fermen-
tation is started in the covering.
Next spring when the bush is lift
ed, there will be found black
spots an inch or more in length on
the stems, caused by being near a
center of fermentation. The stem
Above the spot usually dies. Be
cause you have been successful
with such a covering for a season
or two is no surety that it will
succeed this winter. Old, we'll
rotted manure, however, never
disappoints.
Now, if | had a rose that | did
not want destroyed, even if lost
all the rest, ! should cover it with
black loan, or virgin soil, taken
from beneath the sod of unculti-
waited land in some low place or
ravine. This will not bake like
clay, nor wash or blow away like
sand.
Tree roses and those too proud
to. come to the earth, must, of
course, be treated to a covering
of straw two inches thick, wound
with Irvine, and then wound with
coarse sacking. Rose bushes do
not want to be covered too soon.
Let them get hardened by the
first fresh frosts and cold winds of
autumn. The last of November
is usually early enough to put
them in their winter Jackets.
Geraniums.-How to keep over Winter
Among the plants found in the
conservatory Of the rich and in
the window of the poor mans cot
tage, we are sure to meet this ia
vorite. This is one of the plants
that will stand any amount of
abuse, such as lack of water. no
sunshine, etc, and keep right on
growing and smiling the same
as ever. It's culture and preser-
walton is exceedingly simple, so a
few hints will put the amateur ION
the right track" They flourish as
well out doors as in-and some
times a little better. To pot them
in the fall for winter blooming,
use pot not too large, as they sell
dom bloom till the roots are pot
bound; put i'll fresh soil around
the cleaned roots; cut back the
tallest stems; remove most of the
leaves; water well for a few days
till the earth settles firmly about
the roots; set in some partially
dark place for a week or two, wa
tering twice a week; bring into
the sunshine and warmth, remov-
ing the dead leaves, and soon the
plant will be covered with new
foliage.
Do not leave the geraniums that
have developed from slips or
small plants in the flower beds to
the mercy of Jack Frost, because
no place can be found for keeping
them fresh during the winter.
Pull them up, after loosening
them with a spade, shake the dirt
from the roots, and hang them up
by the root in the cellar till the
early spring. Or, better still take
a biscuit box, for instance, and az
ter putting two inches of soil in
the bottom, dig the geraniums
with a spade, leaving all the earth
that will cling to the roots, and
pack the plants in the box as
closely as possible with their tops
sticking out. Throw in a little
loose soil to partially cover all the
roots a you pack. Put in the cell
lar and moisten the soil once in
two weeks. In the early spring,
remove the earth from the roots,
cut back the branches, pot them
in soil kept in some corner of the
cellar over winter, water with
warm water, and by the time to
set out a bed of geraniums af-
ter frost, you have strong, we'll
developed plants, ready to spring
into bloom.
IN. 4