ROSE CULTURE

Otago Daily Times, Issue 14528, 20 May 1909, Page 8

ROSE CULTURE

Mr IT. Clarke, the well-known and popular horticulturist, who has charge of Jir It Dlendiuing's extensive grounds at Xorth-liast Valley, repeated his "interesting and instructive lecture on "The lto.se uti-.l Its Culture" at the- Technical Hchool, Moray place, last evening. There were about 150 persons present, the lecture lieing triven under the auspices of the Uunedin iloriicubical Society. Mr ,1. C, Thomson, president of e'ue society, presided, and in introducing the lecturer said it »as intended to give a. fortnightly scries of lectures this winter under the auspices of the association on similar lines to -.hose given last year. .A very large amount of informal ion on nraetical horticulture resulted from la.st season's lectures, and as the arrangements for tins fsasra's syllabus provided for a nunib:iof lectures by well-tpiulitied members ol the society and others, similar results were looked for this season. All interested hi the subjects of the lectures were invited to be present. Mr Clarke, who was received with hearty applause, and was listened to attentively lliroughout, said roses did best in a heavy, rich, fatty loam, well drained and merging into clay, 'the ground should be well trenched 2l't deep, and well manured with rotted stable manure'on the bottom spit. Duly good roses should he grown, as the sume labour was required to grow poor trees as good ones. If tho position for growing is a cold one and the wound cold, hybrid pcrpatuals and hybrid tens in preference io teas were recommended, 'file dog rose was recommended as ihe best for stock for budding purposes, and by meant-, of a shapely dormant buddril stock rose of this kind the process ot " budding" was practically explained. Hard or close pruning was strongly recommended about the middle to the end of duly, just utter ibe severe frost has passed away, or a. fortnight, later if the weather be severe. Wc.ll-rottcd stable or cow manure, according to the naiure of the soil, was recommended; and liquid manure wis recommended during or after rain, but not in dry weather. An artificial manure mixture used by a good many of the big rosegrowers at Home, and which he had used with advantage,, recommended by Mr Tonks, one of tho liest analysts in Britain, and also by the National Hoso Society, was as follows:—Superphosphates of iime. 12 parts; nitrate of potash, 10 parts: sulphate of magnesia, 2 parts: sulphate of iron. 1 part; sulphate of lime, 8 p-irts. This manure, applied at the rate of a 4-in-h potful to six square feet of ground mirly in the spring, would he very beneficial to the plants. Soot water was ak) good. The removal of .surplus wood bud.s" a>nl surplus flower buds was strongly urgiu if good blooms were desired." Remedies for rose pest.s were recommended as follows:-Mildew, sofi soap and sulphur in Hot water, applied with a fine syringe ; green fly, soft soap anil hot wafer, "or tobacco water. The following list of 18 good roses was recommended for grow : n>: Dark reds—Duke of 'vVclliiiL'iori. lufLiberty, h.t.: Jubilee, li.p.: .Mrs Lippiat', h.p. Whiles-Frail Karl Drusehki. h.p •' Mrs David M'Kce, h.t.; White Mamau GVhell, I. Yellows-Madame Itavory, h.t.; Insfitutettr Serdey, h.t.; Le Progress, h.t.' Medea, t. Pinks-Lady Ashtown : Dorothy Page Pvoberts: Caroline Trstont, h.t. Other shndM-Lyon Rise. h.t.; Dean Hole, h.t • Hetty h.t.: Marquis Lila, h.t. ClimbersDorothy Perkins, Hiawatha, Crimson Rambler, White Kainblor.