f 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= and most of their hybrids need no pruning beyond cutting
out dead wood, and occasionally cutting the young base shoots back to
hard, well-ripened wood, when the tips are touched by frost.

=Provence= and =Moss= Roses.--Cut out old wood; thin out old shoots, and
out back the young base shoots and laterals to four or six eyes. Some of
the strong-growing moss roses may be left taller. The =Perpetual Moss=
roses are pruned as hybrid perpetuals for garden decoration.

=Miniature Provence.=--Keep well pruned to within six inches of the
ground, and thin out the centre.

=Gallica= and =Damask=.--Prune lightly. The strong growers may be kept
as tall bushes or pillars. The dwarf, such as _Red Damask_, and _Rosa
Mundi_ cut back to three feet. Keep the best one- and two-year-old
shoots and laterals, and thin out old and weak wood.

=Alba.=--Grow as bushes or pillars five to six feet high, cutting out
weak wood, leaving all the laterals on which the flowers are borne,
about eight inches to one foot.

=Hybrid Chinas=, such as _Charles Lawson_, _Coupe d'Hebe_ and _Madame
Plantier_, should be grown as bushy pillars, leaving the shoots six feet
long. Shorten the laterals on old wood to three or four eyes. _Blairii
No. 2_ should hardly be touched.

=Sweet Briars.=--Cut out all weak wood and cut old and naked shoots down
to the ground. The Common Sweet Briar should be grown about four feet
high. The Penzance Briars make enormous base shoots, which may be
shortened to ten feet or less according to one's requirements, and some
of the strong laterals of last year shortened back. _Lord_ and _Lady
Penzance_, from their Austrian briar blood, are much less vigorous, and
need far less pruning, only cutting out dead wood. When the Penzance and