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“Pegging down " is the term applied to the practice of tying down unusually vigorous growths of bush or dwarf roses, instead of cutting them back in the orthodox way, but it should not be attempted with stems that are less than half an inch or so in diameter. The end of the stem is attached, by a piece of string, to a peg or a hook in the ground, thus forming, when pegged down, a miniature arch. The effect of bending the shoot down is to force all the buds into growth, and generally every one of them will bear a blossom or a bunch of blossom the only disadvantage of this method is that the flowers are likely to be on short stems, but this is compensated for by the lavish display. As only bush roses that arc of exceptionally vigorous growth are suited to pegging down, the stems that have flowered may be cut out as soon as the blooms are over, their place being taken by fresh ones to provide the flower display of the following year. It happens sometimes that a strong shoot will develop on the lower part or even near the centre of the pegged down stem; in such a case the latter must be cut back. Only as far as the new growth, for the latter, in its turn, will be pegged down. The work of pegging or tying down is done at pruning time in March.
Most bush roses, the Hybrid Perpetual, Hybrid Teas, and Chinas, are pruned the third week in March, the Teas the first or second week in April in southern gardens. In northern gardens, pruning should be carried about ten days later. Climbing roses on walls start into growth early, and any necessary pruning should be done about the third week in February; if the work is left until later there is every likelihood of the new growths being damaged and broken off.
Climbing roses should receive their chief pruning in late July or August, as soon as the blossoms have faded.
Such old stems as can be dispensed with are then cut out, the fresh growths being tied in to take their places.
The only pruning given to climbing roses in March is Directed towards shortening, to within two or three buds of their base, the side growths on stems of more than one year old. The stems that grew during the previous summer, of course, possess no side shoots, and they are pruned only to the extent of cutting off the extreme ends, if these are very thin or soft. Late in the season strong growths sometimes make their appearance at the base of rambler roses, and to less degree on bush roses also. Amateurs are often puzzled as to how to deal with them. But there need be no difficulty, for, owing to the late start they do not become “ripened," that is to say, I firm; they are, therefore, useless, and should be cut off. The two chief instruments for pruning are the knife and secateurs. The former, if really sharp, makes a cleaner cut than the latter, but if one has a moderately large collection of roses the use of a knife renders the work of pruning a very lengthy one. Very few rose gardeners, I imagine, now make chief use of the knife ; the secateurs have taken their place. Blunt or ill-made secateurs bruise instead of cutting the shoots, but providing good instrument is obtained, and the blades are kept sharp, there is nothing to be urged against there use , and much to be said in their favor. They are convenient to handle, and enable one to prune many roses in a short time .A small saw is sometimes necessary , as, for instance, in removing old branches from vigorous plants or rugosa, or rambling roses, but the ease with which good secteurs will cut through thick stem is surprising.
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