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Celluloid Label

A thin piece of paper bearing name, etc., is cemented between two clear strips of celluloid. Cementation is effected by flowing a small quantity of amyl acetate (banana oil) between the strips of celluloid and paper, placed between two glasses under pressure until dry. A hole may be punched in end for string or wire and edges trimmed to make a neat appearance Suggested by Mr. F. F. Christine, of Philadelphia following: Antoine Rivoire, Duchess of Wellington, General MacArthur, Killarney, and two each of Souv. du President Carnot and Joseph Hill.

Make a compass drawing as outlined so that there may be no question as to the position of the bed.

This plan is suggested because labels are a delusion and a snare, do not last, and also become misplaced, so that while labels are kept in the beds we depend upon the written plan for positive information as to what each rose is, its location, etc.* It is but the matter of a few moments to make this record and the time so occupied will be well worth while.

Having run two lines ten inches from each side of the bed, and from one end to the other, space off the proper point at which each rose is to be planted by a stake, which can be measured with ordinary rule or line. Before starting work put on a pair of gloves to protect the hands from thorns. Bring out but a few roses at a time, and, in order to avoid any possible mixing of the plants, each variety should be kept absolutely separate and planted at one time before the next kind is placed in the bed.

Sometimes rose roots are injured in the shipment, in which case it will be necessary to cut off the broken * A most practical label is made as follows: Cover a wooden label with white lead paint. Write on label with a soft pencil while white lead is fresh. Allow the white lead to dry and then cover with outdoor varnish. Labels received with new stock will be rendered more lasting by the use of varnish. Note illustration. ends. A good pair of pruning shears and a sharp knife are the two best implements for this work.

Cuts should be sharp and clean and the roots should be cut off above the break. It will take only a minute to examine each plant before it is actually set and to cut off broken roots and any suckers in which growth may have started. (For further information on suckers, see page 20.) The thing to be most carefully considered, and most important in planting roses, is to dig a hole about eighteen inches deep, the center of which is approximately the center of the mark for the rose.

The earth should be taken out with a spade from this hole, and before finally replacing it, two things. should be carefully noted that the roots spread out at the bottom and do not cross one another.

The more the roots are spread out, the more sustenance the plant will get, and the more room there will be for the little fibrous roots. It is particularly difficult to spread out the roots of pot-grown plants. The other important point is that the bud, i.e., the point at which the variety has been budded to the stock, which may be easily noted, should be at a given distance below the ground level. On these two factors depends the size of the excavation. The bud should be not less than two inches and not more than three inches below the finished level of the bed; except with roses budded on Multiflora, which should be one and a half inches. This seems like getting down to very exact planting, but if the bud is higher it is not sufficiently protected in winter, and the rose does not do as well if it is planted lower.

The hole being properly dug, place the rose in it, carefully spreading out the roots so that they do not cross or touch one another at any point. This will take some time and care, but it is of the greatest importance to the future growth of the rose that it be properly done. Two persons can do the work much better than one. In planting always have a small bucket containing top soil and bone meal finely powdered in equal parts to sprinkle at the bottom of the hole and also on the roots; this is very helpful to their growth, because it precludes the possibility of any manure touching the roots (manure which, if too fresh and not well-rotted, will burn them) and promotes the growth of the very much to be desired fibrous feeding roots. After this preparation is put in, the helper adds the soil carefully, a little at a time, to fill up the hole. As he puts it in, tamp it firmly with a stick, and, as the hole gradually fills, take particular care that there is no space left just underneath the main root of the plant, for air space is most detrimental to the growth of the rose. Having filled up the hole to the ground level of the bed, consider the rose to be planted, and proceed to the next. When the first hole is dug, remove the earth and put it beyond the stake for the last hole, then use the earth from the second hole to fill around the first plant, and so on; this saves much work and insures keeping the entire bed the same level.

An easy way to get an almost exact depth below the ground for the bud is to have a lath, or other straight piece of wood, in the center of which a measure is nailed. This operation is very simple, if the main points, as enumerated above, are carefully carried out.

These rules are so important for the future success of the plants that they are repeated:

First, unpack indoors unless weather conditions are absolutely perfect.

Second, keep the roots well covered, preferably with moss if they have been packed in it, otherwise with damp earth, or coverings, or water.

Third, have a bucket containing a mixture of equal parts of top soil and bone meal to place around the roots.

Fourth, take plenty of time in digging the hole to get it large enough and wide enough at the bottom to spread the roots properly.

Fifth, do not let the roots cross one another.

Sixth, plant carefully and slowly, tamping down the earth with a stick, making sure by gently raising and lowering as the earth is filled in that no air space remains below the main part of the root.