The Somerset herald. [volume] (Somerset, Pa.) 1870-1936, 1899-05-10
Rose Culture

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As these hints are meant only for the
u,ateur. who must work Gu small
sale, only few rules aud suggestious
re offered, with all the m0desty aud
,srfscs appreciation OF their iimita-
ions. IL regard to sitaati0n-remen-
,er. roses viii not thrive in damp,
lose shady situation. They must have
abundance Of air aud sunshine, rich
oil and careful culture. IL the soil s
5oor naturally. IL mast Be removed and
replaced with prepared soil 70 the
depth Of > feet. II only a few rvsses are
10 be planted, Il woesd be best 10 get
the soil Of florist. II much IS needed.
il may be prepared BY mixing top soil
from = field With about sn equal pOF-
ton Of good compost, thoroughly
worked In. II the soil IS sandy, = little
clay should be added BY all means
avoid patrOnixing the scOundrelly street
yenders OF what appears TO the casual
eye to be ''rich EARTH but IS, in fact,
street sweepings, largely consisting Of
erumbled asphalt. warranted 70 destroy
anything planted in IT,
PLANT on NAY DAY.
Whenever practically select your
roses from local florists that you may see
with your own eyes what you are pay
ing for. II is not really safe to plant
roses grown under glass before May !,
but field-grown plants may be set out
much earlier. Wet the roots thorough
Iy and pack the soil about them firmly.
If this is carefully doae these plants
will not know they have been trans
ferred, and keep right on growing,
though, if possible, it Is well TO protect
them from cold winds for some tine 10
e1nle. II is much better to obtain
bushes at least two years old. Younger
than that the plants are too weak to live
through a hard winter, and give bat
few aud poor blooms the first season.
Cut back each branch after blooming;
then new shoots will start. and Il is
only new shoots that bloom.
DISEASES AND INSECTS.
The diseases and insect enemies of
the rose are many and obstinate, bat,
not to be diseouraging, only those most
common and most easily overcome viii
he noted here. The green aphis gener-
ally makes an early appearance, at
tackiag the young shoots in such num-
bers as to completely conceal the young
wood. As fumigation out Of doors j.
not practicable, a solution Of tobacco
water, made by boiling tobacco stems
in the proportion Of 4 ounces Of stems
70 one gallon of water, should be ap-
piled with a syringe or atOmizer. This
should be done in the evening, and re-
peated until the aphis disappears. The
red spider is another most destructive
insect, attacking the under side OF the
leaves and destroying the plant IN
short time if not checked. Spraying
with a solution of whale oil soap or
kerosene emulsion in such way as to
reach the under side of the foliage is
the remedy. Daily Swinging with
cold waterin the same way will pre-
vent the appearance Of this pest, which
also attacks the sweet pea, nasturtium
and other garden plants. An ounce Of
prevention, etc, etc a good rule for
making tie kerosene emulsion is here
given:
HOW To MIN THE MEDICINE.
Dissolve one-quarter pound of brown
soap in two quarts of boiling water.
To this add one piut Of oil and mix
thoroughly. Taeu adj two gallons of
cold water and stir the whole until
well mixed. Spray with an atomizsr or
garden syringe.
The chafer is brown beetle which
attacks the rose when in bloom, seem-
ing TO prefer the light colorel tlowers.
The only safe remedy is ''hand-piek-
ing and dropping into boiling hot
water. The green siugs may he de-
strOyed by applications of powdered
hellebOre or whale-Oil soapsuds, but
manipulating twice day is 10 be rec
ommended to those not too squeamish-
Mildew, Indicated by the spotted APP
pearanee aud dropping Of the foliage,
IS usually caused by long-eontinued
! damp weather Of shaded situation
: As this disease is contagious the in.
fscted leaves sh0alb be at once remov
ed and burned. The piaat should ;heI
be dotted over with powdered sulphu
or SCOT, first spriukling it THAI 60
powder may adhere A few tOads in
troduced into a garden ars said to b
valuable aids in the culture Of r'ses
destroying innuinerable insects and
slugs.