Andrieux et Cie., 4, Quai de la Megisserie, Paris, is far the best I can get. It costs 8 francs, and is made in three sizes.

As to hard-and-fast rules in pruning, there are but two.

Fig. 2a.—Rosebush requiring light pruning—unpruned.

Fig. 2b.—Rosebush requiring light pruning—pruned.

1.—Rose Requiring Moderate Pruning. Unpruned.

1.—Rose Requiring Moderate Pruning. Pruned.

1. Prune weak-growing roses much harder than strong-growing roses. As the object of pruning is to throw the sap into the young shoots which will start from the dormant buds or "eyes," in order to make them flower, a weak-growing rose must be pruned hard so as to concentrate all the vigour of the plant on the few dormant buds we leave. While if we prune a strong-growing rose very hard we only make it throw yet longer shoots, which soon get out of all bounds, and run to wood and not to blossom.

2. Always prune to a dormant bud which points outwards. This is done to keep the centre of the plant comparatively free, by preventing the shoots crossing and choking each other.

In pruning we have to keep two objects ever in view. In the first place we must prune in order to get rid of all dead wood, and weak, unripe and useless shoots, thus enabling the young healthy wood to take their place. And secondly we must prune so as to keep the plant in good shape and good health, by cutting back the strong and healthy wood we leave to a suitable length.

If the winter has been mild, we shall find many buds on the upper part of strong shoots of last year's growth, which are already bursting into leaf and even showing a flower bud. And it seems so brutal to destroy these, that I know one is often tempted to leave some to take their chance, instead of hardening one's heart and sternly cutting down to just above the first dormant bud. But when the plants really start in May, we pay for our tender-hearted folly by blind unhealthy shoots which only disfigure the plant, while the real flower shoots are starting below and cannot get up to the light and air. Or, again, the unpruned shoot turns black and begins to die back, and we have to cut it down much further than would have been necessary had we pruned it at the right moment.

In pruning, however, let the amateur remember that until he has gained considerable experience in the matter, it is far safer to prune too lightly than to prune in excess. And I must repeat that no rules will really help us, unless we study the special nature and idiosyncrasy of each individual plant, exactly as we study the character of the child we have to deal with.

With climbing summer-flowering roses very little pruning at all is required, except slightly shortening the ends of the long rambling shoots, cutting out all the dead wood, and cutting some of the old flowering shoots which are worn out, down to the base.

It must be remembered that Ramblers, Noisettes, and other climbing roses bear their flowers on the laterals of the long shoots of the former year. While the Banksias, some of the Multifloras such as Aglaia, and that beautiful rose Fortune's Yellow, only flower on the sub-laterals, i.e. on wood three years old. If therefore these shoots are cut back too hard the plant does not flower.

One of the finest specimens of Crimson Rambler I have ever seen, was ruined for several years by an ignorant person who carefully and triumphantly cut out all the long shoots of the former year, which he considered mere "sucker rods." And then he was surprised at the plant bearing no flowers.

A certain amount of very useful minor pruning can be carried on all through the summer, by cutting out bits of old wood when they have flowered, if we see that they have no young shoots on which to bear a second crop later on. For instance when the newer China roses, such as Laurette Messimy, are in full bloom, we often find a bit of one of last year's growths which has borne one or two of the earliest flowers and now merely blocks up the young tender shoots full of buds. This is the time to cut it out, instead of allowing it to absorb part of the strength which should go to the new wood.

Cutting off dead blooms.—Though to some it may seem a small matter, much good may also be done to our plants through the summer by the way we remove dead flowers. Instead of merely snapping off each blossom between thumb and finger, it is better to do a little very mild pruning, by cutting each dead blossom off just above the second leaf below it. This greatly promotes the autumn blooming of the plants, and keeps them in good shape. It is a little more trouble, but amply repays us in the end.

The precise moment of setting to work must depend to some extent on the weather. Of course we cannot begin in a heavy frost, as that would be fatal to the plants. Nor can I go as far as Mr. Pemberton, who with delightful enthusiasm advises us to choose a cold day with north-east wind and occasional sleet showers. That is too complete a counsel of perfection for most mortals; for however much they love their roses, they equally dread pneumonia for themselves. But certainly a cool, overcast day is best, as there is less chance of the wood bleeding than in mild, soft weather.

Well prepared, therefore, sécateur in hand, and knife in pocket in case of need, with strong gloves and old clothes, and if a woman, with a housemaid's kneeling pad to kneel on so as to get more easily at the dwarf plants—for pruning is tiring work in any case, and it is well to save extra fatigue and backache—we now begin on a late February day, with

Rugosa Roses.—These need little pruning beyond cutting out the dead wood, and cutting back some of the old wood almost to the base, when it will throw up fresh shoots which will bloom late. The suckers which these roses throw up in numbers, may be cut back to three or four feet to form a thick bush.

Ayrshires and Sempervirens.—Thin out slightly and cut out dead wood—no further pruning is needed.

Boursaults need no thinning. The flowers are borne on the laterals of last year's long shoots, which may be left six to ten feet long.

The Species