There are comparatively but few varieties of roses suitable for producing an abundance of flowers in winter, and these would not be called the finest varieties for summer culture. They are selected for their buds. The Safrona for instance, is selected for its deep, saffron colored buds; the full flower is but semi-double. We will give the names of a few of the roses best adapted for winter culture.
Lamarque, white, tinged with straw color. Safrona, saffron yellow, free bloomer. Agrippina, rich deep crimson, free bloomer. La Pactole, light canary-color, abundant bloomer. Hermosa, rosy pink, most prolific variety. Gloire de Dijon, large, full, buff, shaded to salmon.
CULTIVATION.
The best soil for the rose is a rather stiff loam, although it is not particular about soil, but grows luxuriantly, flourishes well in a fresh loam with a plenty of pure air and sunlight. A stiff, clay loam will produce better flowers, and of a deeper color, than a soil of a light muddy character. If you desire many blossoms, be careful to cut off every rose when it fades away. We gather our roses so freely, we leave but few to wither. In the spring roses should be pruned thoroughly.
Many people have been discouraged in raising roses, on account of the slug and other insects; but nothing can flourish in this world, that is desirable, without care. So with the rose. Early in spring, just as the buds are starting, wash your roses in a solution of tobacco or whale-oil soap. If the insects appear on the leaf, syringe the bush freely, early in the morning or late at night, with a solution of whale-oil soap. Sprinkle wood ashes or charcoal dust around the roots.
A gardener invariably recommends monthly roses, rather than the so-called perpetuals. Those who purchase perpetuals, without a previous knowledge of their habits, are always disappointed in the few flowers they produce after the first blooming. Their great virtue is the hardy nature of the plant. The monthly roses bloom at the South nearly the whole year. But what shall we do with these delicate roses at the North during the winter? The best way is to lay them down, and cover with sods, or earth and manure. If the subsoil is gravelly or sandy, they will surely keep, as a good drainage is necessary, without it they cannot live. The way to lay down a rose-bush is to dig a trench four or five inches deep, up to the root of the rose, then bend your rose-bush carefully into the trench, and peg it down. Cover entirely root and branches by sods, placed grassy side upwards, forming a hillock. Or cover it with earth or sand, and straw or manure.
The next important consideration is the time at which it is done. Few amateurs have any idea of the amount of freezing which even the tender tea roses will sustain without injury. It often proves fatal to roses to be covered too soon. It is well to cover the ground around the roots of the roses with leaves or straw to prevent the earth from freezing. In New England, the early or middle part of November is generally the time to cover roses for the winter; in the Middle States, in December. The best rule is to let your roses remain uncovered, until the ground can no longer be ploughed, or dug with a spade. This covering can be removed as soon as vegetation fairly starts in spring. Every plant thus saved possesses a four-fold value over those planted out in the spring, as the roots have been so little disturbed. Another way is to dig a trench, line it with straw, and lay in your delicate roses, then cover entirely with earth until spring. Roses that have bloomed all summer should not be potted for winter use. They need rest, and will not flourish in warm rooms.
ROSES FOR WINTER BLOOMING.
Roses for winter blooming require a different treatment, as one essential condition of free winter flowering is, that the plant has abundance of active, or, as gardeners term them, “working roots.” Plants are started for this purpose either by cuttings struck in March, or else one year old plants are used. These plants should be re-potted frequently to prevent their becoming pot-bound. They must never be allowed to dry or wilt in the heat of summer, else the white, working roots will perish, and before the plant can regain its vigor new ones must be formed. You must not attempt to force your rose at first; when you take it in for winter, a cool temperature will be needful. It depends upon when you desire rosebuds how you treat it. It must be pruned previous to flowering. If you desire roses the first of January, prune or shorten the shoots the first of November (earlier for Christmas). They then can be placed in temperature ranging fifty degrees to sixty degrees at night, with only fifteen degrees higher during the day. Two year old plants are better for new beginners, as they form working roots sooner, having more fibres.