Decorah-posten., 1898-04-29
Ed.tsd BY lRor G A opvrR
Something About Roses.

The Rose fever is always cpl.
demic, numbering among its VIC
TINS those usually indifferent tc
the charms OF flowers. Talk about
flowers" exclaimed a grizzled ole
farmer, enthusiastically, there
amt but one flower, an that the
Rose!' The place of honor that
Tor two thousand years has been
accorded to the Rose still belongs
to this, the quecnliest of flowers,
as attest the page after page given
TO them in every florists cata.
logue, the tens of thousands oil
cut flowers of American Beauty
and Bride Roses sold in the cities,
and the pride with which every
village amateur points to his SUI
perb General Jacqueminot, darkly
glowing with floral fire, or his ex,
quisitcly nodded La France, every
intoxicated petal like a rosy-lipped
sea-shell.
But because the Rose is uni
versally admired it by no means
follows that it is universally we'll
treated. Quite the reverse. The
Rose of to-day has to bear a good
deal of unreIished hardship, sim
ply because its predecessor, the
Rose of yesterday, far inferior to
the modern Rose in form, size,
color and substance, was yet a
hundredfold sturdicr.
You could not kill the old June
Rose. If you dug it up, every
piece of root left in the ground
sprouted and came up; It did not
mind grass growing over its roots;
it multiplied its suckers in wet
weather; it took deeper root in
drouth; it stood 50 degrees below
zero in the extreme North, and
ITO above in the far South; and
where one sprout was planted, a
hundred briary descendants quick
ly appeared.
Now so far from partaking of
the old Roses character, our
high-blooded Roses of the present
day are decidedly particular as to
their surroundings. Less hardy.
they need winter protection, to al
least a degree, even to the So
called hardy Hybrid Perpetuals;
on the new wood, they
need from time to time to have
their surplus old wood cut away;
and blooming constantly as they
do, they are gross feeders, and
require rich diet to pro-
duce the coveted large, heavy
blooms. How shall we go about
to obtain as fine Roses as those
we see grown by professional
rosarians =?
First OF all, our Roses chosen
Teas for bedding, stiff, tall-grow-
ing Hybrid Perpetuals for hedges
and shrubbery, and Climbing
Roses for easements and door
ways-the ground where they are
to stand is specially prepared for
them. Don't lightly coquet with
the hoe over a plot of mother
and call it a Rose bed, No,
dig deep-spade it. The gound
neither be wet nor dry,
but in that medium state when it
.ulverizes easily. This deep
stirring lasts the whole season,
and gives the roots deepanchorage
alike from the drouth of summer,
and the cold of winter. Prefer
ably, these beds should have a
sunny location.
But this is not enough. Those
need feeding, and high
teeding at that. This means
manure added to the spaded
ground, and mixed through and
through it until it is all n homo
geneous mass. How much ma
1ure? All your conscience will
.et you give and a little more.
Put a layer four to six inches deep
all over the bed, then dig it in,
and it will be none too much, and
year after it will stand as
much more. Chip dirt, BARNARD
Or hen-house manure, any of these
are good, and a light coating of
wood SCOT dug in adds to the
depth and brilliancy of color. Re-
member that when you take down
the winter stoves, and empty the
pipes of their grimy contents, that
sooting the roots you will SUIT
the Roses.
One caution only. Be sure all
fertilizers used are thoroughly
-otted. Fresh, or partly rotted
manure will not do. 1t is too fery
and strong, and will burn up the
tender roots. If the manure has
stood six months to a year, it
.oses this acrid burning character,
and only the food elements re-
main. Rotted manure should pull
verlze easily, and will be of a dark,
rich color.
AS the Dose is one of those
lard-wooded plants that branches
The more and grows the faster for
an occasional heading back, and
as it is also the case that Re-
nontant (ever-blooming) Roses
bloom only on new wood, all
OF this character should re-