Evening star., 1928-03-13

man who jumped into bramble bush.
The pruner is supposed to leave at
least 4 to 6 "eyes" on a branch. and
| ALWAYS to cut with a slanting stroke
about half on inch above bud or eye.
| All this Is to be done on cloudy day,
preferably. In order not to permit the
sun to "overstimulate" the cut portion.
All dead wood must be cut back to
| live wood. In other words. the object
of pruning is to increase the growth,
to make for larger flowers. and to i'm
prove the appearance OF the bush.
Some of the most popular varieties. such
as the Radiance and Red Radiance,
make such an enormous growth that
they are soon out of hand unless cut
back severely.
y n X
No sooner has the pruning been at
tended to, which may be any time now,
the sooner the better (unless a drastic
change In the weather takes place.,
than spraying ought to be done.
The first spraying should be with
nicotine solution, in order to subdue and
eliminate these little green bits Of life
which shortly otherwise would cover
every twig and bud. every leaf
Spraying is by all odds the most try
ing Of garden operations. A man may
dig all day with less muscular exer-
tion than it takes to operate the aver
age small hand spray one finds In the
hands Of most gardeners.
The sprayer that works on the COM
pressed air principle Is the one to get
results. but most persons who have only
small garden shy at the price And the
smallest size available Is the three
~. -
be lot of nicotine solution to make
up for a dozen or so rosebushes! It
probably will be discovered however,
that the large amount OF solution lures
ON to bigger and better spraying. which
is exactly what Is needed In ninety mine
gardens out OF every hundred
This first spraying OF the season
should always be made prior to the ap-
pearance of the aphids. This. we be-
lieve. is where the average home gar
dener falls down. He waits for the
evidence of his eyes. when he should
plunge In at the first signs of growth
on the rose stems. This first Spring
spraying probably would avert many a
later one. In case 1t should not, how
ever. all one has to do is spray again
II the aphids should appear. Every
spraying should be made complete-that
IL, tWlCe 8S HluCn Hulu SflOulu DC uSeu
as one thinks necessary. Complete
spraying is more than half OF the bat
tie. Aphids arc endowed with the Or
dinary intelligence of created things;
when spray hits them. they instinc-
lively run around to the under side of
a leaf or twig. there to remain pro-
tected from the inimical rain unless the
gardener realizes their strategy
Let there be complete spraying with
nicotine some time this month. and
again not later than April Is There
are, OF course. many other rose enc
mics: these must be met with powder
or liquid sprayings suited to the emer-
eencies as they arise. The control of
the plant lice. however, is the neces-
sary preliminary for further battles for
the possession of ones rosebushes.
Either the owner runs" them or bugs"
OF various descriptions take over the
management! These two operations
pruning and spraying-with q third,
fertilization. ought TO give any one good
roses, provided he purchased good stock
to begin with. March Is a good month";
by the way, for the first fertilizing
Stir In handful of sheep manure and
bone meal not too close to the roots.
BY the time the bone meal is ready for
assimilation by the rootlets. real grow
ing weather will be here.