ROSES--CULTIVATION AND PROPAGATING.
The Rose is preëminently the Queen of Flowers. It has no rival in the
floral kingdom, and will always stand at the head in the catalogue of
Flora's choicest gems. To it alone belongs that subtle perfume that
captivates the sense of smell, and that beauty of form and color so
pleasing to the eye. Add to all this, it is one of the easiest plants to
cultivate, as it will grow and flower in almost any soil or climate,
requiring but little care and attention as compared with many other
favorites of the garden. There has been great improvement made in Roses
in the last twenty years by skillful cultivators in this country and in
Europe, and from a few common sorts formerly grown, many hundred choice
and desirable varieties have been produced, and to-day the choice
cultivated varieties are very numerous. These differ in respect to
hardiness, habit of growth, and peculiar characteristics of blooming,
and for these reasons cultivators have grouped them into several
distinct classes, each class differing in certain characteristics from
the others.
TEA ROSES.
The Roses best adapted for in-door culture belong to the class known as
Tea Roses; these are tender, of a bushy growth, and if properly treated,
will bloom the year round; the flowers have a strong tea-scent.
Tea Roses can be cultivated out-of-doors with success, but they must be
taken up in the fall and removed in-doors. We know it is the custom of
some gardeners to lay the bushes down in the fall, and cover them with
earth and leaves; while in some cases this may preserve them, it cannot
be depended on as a rule. To keep up a steady bloom, pinch off all
flowers as soon as they begin to fade. It is best to not let the buds
open fully while on the bush, but they should be cut in the bud, and
placed in a vase of water, where they will expand and keep for a long
while. All dead leaves and flower stems should be carefully removed, and
the surface of the soil in the pots should be stirred up occasionally
with a stick, this will keep the plants in a growing condition, and if
they can be kept growing, they will bloom continuously.
The following varieties of Tea Roses are in every respect among the best
for house culture:
_Bon Silene._--Flowers purplish-carmine; highly scented.
_Niphetos._--Pure white, magnificent long buds; an incessant bloomer.
_Perle de Jardins._--Sulphur-yellow, full and double; a splendid rose.
_La France_ (Bourbon).--Bright lilac-rose, fine form; perpetual bloomer,
half hardy.
_Hermosa_ (Bourbon).--Light rose-color, cupped-shaped; a most perpetual
bloomer.
HYBRID PERPETUAL, AND MOSS ROSES.
Both of the above classes are entirely distinct from either the Tea,
Noisette, or Bourbon Roses; they are entirely hardy, exceedingly
free-bloomers in their season--from June to July; their flowers have a
delightful perfume, and are noted for the richness and variety of their
colors. They require to be closely pruned annually. The spring is the
most desirable time to prune. They should have a top-dressing of manure
every fall. The ground should be kept well shaded around their roots in
summer. They require a strong, rich soil to make them flower well. These
roses are not desirable for house culture. The following are among the
best varieties of the Hybrid Perpetual, or Remontant Roses:
_Gen. Jacqueminot._--Brilliant crimson-scarlet; magnificent buds.
_La Reine._--Deep rosy-pink; an ideal rose.
_Coquette des Alps._--White; blooms in clusters.
_Black Prince._--Blackish-crimson; large, full, and globular.
_Victor Verdier._--Rich deep-rose; elegant buds.
MOSS ROSES.
Of this class we need not speak in detail to any who have ever seen its
delicate moss-covered buds, and inhaled their delightful odor. They are
perfectly hardy, and can be wintered without any protection. They are
called perpetual, but this is a misnomer, for we know but one variety of
Moss Rose that approaches it, that is the _Salet_ Moss. The rest are no
more so than are the so-called Hybrid Perpetuals.
Moss Roses should be severely pruned in spring, removing all the old
wood.
_Salet_, deep pink; _White Perpetual_, pure white; and _Crested_,
rose-color, are the most desirable sorts.
PROPAGATING THE ROSE.
The Rose is somewhat difficult to propagate from cuttings, and it takes
from three to four weeks for them to root under the best conditions.
Moss Roses are generally multiplied by layering (see "Layering"), and by
budding on the common Manetti or Multiflora stocks. The following will
be found to be a very practicable and simple method of propagating roses
on a small scale, and is attended with very little trouble or expense:
In the fall place sand in a box, or cold frame, to the depth of eight
inches. Take from the bushes the number of cuttings it is desired to
propagate, making them with two or three points or eyes; insert them in
the sand (which should be previously packed as solid as can be), then
water thoroughly. As the cuttings are to remain in this frame all
winter, it should be provided with a glass sash, and the whole covered
with leaves and manure. It need not be banked up until freezing weather.
If rightly done, we may expect at the least fifty per cent of the
cuttings to come from their winter bed finely rooted. They should then
be potted, and after growing awhile, planted out, and some of them will
bloom the first season.