To prune or not to prune. That is the question with a great many amateurs who grow Rambler Roses. It is a question, too, which has also been much discussed by expert growers in years past. Experience seems to show that very little pruning is required—at least, for the younger plants. Of course, the dead wood should be removed and it is quite permissible to trim back the canes in order to keep the plants within bounds, but it is a great mistake to cut out much of the wood. Many of the finest flowers come on canes which are two and three years old, or on the new wood which comes from these canes. After the canes are three years old, they may as well be cut out. In the case of an established plant, this cutting out of the old and weakened wood each season will keep the plant in the best condition for flowering freely. An exception may be made in the case of crimson ramblers which are grown where the dirt which they make after the blooming season is over would prove a nuisance.

Lack of success in getting roses to bloom freely usually can be traced to starvation. Roses are gross feeders and most amateurs fail to realize that the bushes should be heavily fertilized every season. It is a good plan to pile manure on the ground around the plants in the Fall and to spade it into the soil, along with a fresh lot, in the Spring. Applications of manure water during the flowering season are a help and hard wood ashes also make a good fertilizer. When the plants are set out a deep, wide hole should be dug and a generous amount of manure thrown into it, being covered with earth before the plants are placed in position. Good drainage is needed, too, and sometimes the installation of a tile drain seems to work wonders. There are some magnificent new climbing roses on the market this season and this class is more popular than ever.