Yet roses may be grown to perfection in any soil, if the needful pains are taken. We will suppose an extreme case: The grower wishes to plant a bed of roses on a spot where the soil is very poor and sandy. Let him mark out his bed, dig the soil to the depth of eighteen inches? throw out the worst portion of it, and substitute in its place a quantity of strong, heavy loam: rotted sods, if they can be had, will be an excellent addition; and so, also, will decayed leaves. Then add a liberal dressing10 of old stable manure8: that taken from a last year's hot-bod will do admirably. It is scarcely possible to enrich too highly. One-fourth manure to three-fourths soil is not an excessive proportion. Now incorporate the whole thoroughly11 with a spade, level the top, and your bed is ready.
Again: we will suppose a case, equally bad, but of the opposite character. Here the soil is very wet, cold, and heavy. The first step is to drain it. This may be done thoroughly with tiles, after the approved methods; or, if this is too troublesome or expensive, simpler means may be used, which will, in most situations, prove as effectual. Dig a hole about five feet deep and four feet wide at the lower side of your intended bed of roses: in this hole place an inverted12 barrel, with the head knocked out; or, what is better, an old oil cask. In the latter case, a hole should be bored in it, near the top, to permit the air to escape. Fill the space around the cask or barrel with stones, and then cover the whole with earth. If your bed is of considerable extent, a drain, laid in stone or tile, should be made under or beside the bed, at the depth of three feet, and so constructed as to lead to the sunken barrel. Throw out, if necessary, a portion of the worst soil of the bed, substituting light loam, rotted leaves, and coarse gritty sand. Then add an abundance of old stable manure, as in the former case.
In the great majority of gardens, however, such pains are superfluous13. Any good garden soil, deeply dug, and thoroughly enriched, will grow roses in perfection. Neither manure nor the spade should be spared. Three conditions are indispensable,—sun, air, and exemption14 from the invasion of the roots of young growing trees. These last are insidious15 plunderers and thieves, which invade the soil, and rob its lawful16 occupants of the stores of nutriment provided for them.
A rose planted on the shady side of a grove17 of elm or maple18 trees is in one of the worst possible of situations. If, however, the situation is in other respects good, the evil of the invading roots may be cured for a time by digging a trench19, three feet deep, between the trees and the bed of roses; thus cutting off the intruders. The trench may then be filled up immediately; but, if the trees are vigorous, it must be dug over again the following year. It is much better to choose, at the outset, an airy, sunny situation, at a reasonable distance from growing trees; but, at the same time, a spot exposed to violent winds should be avoided, as they are very injurious and exhausting.
Roses may be planted either in spring or in autumn. In the Northern States, the severity of the winter demands some protection, when planted in autumn, for all except the old, hardy22 varieties. Plant as early as possible, that the roots may take some hold on the soil before winter closes. October, for this reason, is better than November. The best protection is earth heaped around the stem to the height of from six inches to a foot. Pine, cedar23, or spruce boughs24 are also excellent. When earth alone is used, the top of the rose is often frost-killed; but this is usually of no consequence, the growth and bloom being only more vigorous for this natural pruning25. Dry leaves heaped among or around the roses, and kept down by sticks or pieces of board, or by earth thrown on them, are also good protectors. In spring, plant as early as the soil is in working order; that is to say, as soon as it is dry enough not to adhere in lumps to the spade.
In planting, prune26 back the straggling roots with a sharp knife, but save as many of the small fibres as possible. If you plant in spring, prune back the stem at least half way to the ground; but, if you plant in autumn, by all means defer27 this operation till the winter is over. The ground around autumn-planted roses should be trodden down in the spring, since the plant will have been somewhat loosened in its place by the effect of frost; but this treading must not take place until the soil has become free from excessive moisture. Budded roses require a peculiar28 treatment in planting, which we shall describe when we come to speak of them.
Next to soil and situation, pruning is the most important point of attention to the rose-grower. Long treatises30 have been written on it, describing in detail different modes applicable to different classes of roses, and confusing the amateur by a multitude of perplexing particulars.
One principle will cover most of the ground: Weaklygrowing roses should be severely31 pruned32: those of vigorous growth should be pruned but little. Or, to speak more precisely33, roses should be pruned in inverse34 proportion to the vigor21 of their growth.
Much, however, depends on the object at which the grower aims. If he wishes for a profusion35 of bloom, without regard to the size and perfection of individual flowers, then comparatively little pruning is required. If, on the other hand, he wishes for blooms of the greatest size and perfection, without regard to number, he will prune more closely.
The pruning of any tree or shrub36 at a time when vegetation is dormant37 acts as a stimulus38 to its vital powers. Hence, when it is naturally vigorous, it is urged by close pruning to such a degree of growth, that it has no leisure to bear flowers, developing instead a profusion of leaves and branches. The few flowers which it may produce under such circumstances, will, however, be unusually large.
The most vigorous growers among roses are the climbers, such as the "Boursaults" and the "Prairies."
These require very little pruning: first, because of their vigor; and, secondly39, because quantity rather than quality of bloom is asked of them. The old and dry wood should be cut wholly away, leaving the strong young growth to take its place, with no other pruning than a clipping-off of the ends of side-shoots, and a thinning-out of crowded or misshapen branches. In all roses, it is the young, well-ripened40 wood that bears the finest flowers. Old enfeebled wood, or unripe41, soft, and defective42 young wood, should always be removed.
Next in vigor to the climbers are some of the groups of hardy June roses; such, for example, as those called the Hybrid43 China roses. These are frequently grown on posts or pillars; in which case they require a special treatment, to be indicated hereafter. We are now supposing them to be grown as bushes in the garden or on the lawn. Cut out the old wood, and the weak, unripe, and sickly shoots, as well as those which interfere44 with others; then shorten the remaining stems one-third, and cut back the side-shoots to three or four buds. This is on the supposition that a full mass of bloom is required, without much regard to the development of individual flowers. If quality rather than quantity of bloom is the desideratum, the pruning both of the main stems and of the side-shoots must be considerably45 shorter.
Roses of more moderate growth, including the greater part of the June, Moss46, Hybrid Perpetual, and Bourbon roses, require a proportionally closer pruning. The stems may be cut down to half their length, and the side-shoots shortened to two buds. All the weak-growing roses, of whatever class, may be pruned with advantage even more closely than this. Some of the weak-growing Hybrid Perpetuals grow and bloom best when shortened to within four or five buds of the earth. The stronggrowing kinds, on the contrary, if pruned thus severely, would grow with great vigor, but give very few flowers.
The objects of pruning are threefold: first, to invigorate the plant; secondly, to improve its flowers; and, thirdly, to give it shape and proportion. This last object should always be kept in view by the operator. No two stems should be allowed to crowd each other. A mass of matted foliage47 is both injurious and unsightly. Sun and air should have access to every part of the plant. Six or seven stems are the utmost that should be allowed to remain, even on old established bushes; and these, as before mentioned, should be strong and well ripened, and should also be disposed in such a manner, that, when the buds have grown into shoots and leaves, the bush will have a symmetrical form. In young bushes, three, or even two, good stems are sufficient.
Pruning in summer, when the plant is in active growth, has an effect contrary to that of pruning when it is in a dormant state. Far from increasing its vigor, it weakens it, by depriving it of a portion of its leaves, which are at once its stomach and its lungs. Only two kinds of summer pruning can be recommended. The first consists in the removal of small branches which crowd their neighbors, and interfere with them: the second is confined to the various classes of Perpetual roses, and consists merely in cutting off the faded flowers, together with the shoots on which they grow, to within three or four buds of the main stem. This greatly favors their tendency to bloom again later in the summer.
When old wood is cut away, it should be done cleanly, without leaving a protruding48 stump49. A small saw will sometimes be required for this purpose; though in most cases a knife, or, what is more convenient, a pair of sharp pruning-shears, will be all that the operator requires.
When roses are trained to cover walls, trellises, arches, or pillars, the main stems are encouraged to a strong growth. These form the permanent wood; while the side-shoots, more or less pruned back, furnish the flowers. For arbors, walls, or very tall pillars, the strongest growers are most suitable, such as the Prairie, Boursault, and Ayrshire roses. Enrich the soil strongly, and dig deep and widely. Choose a healthy young rose, and, in planting, cut off all the stems close to the earth. During the season, it will make a number of strong young shoots. In the following spring cut out half of them, leaving the strongest, which are to be secured against the wall, or over the arbor50, diverging51 like a fan or otherwise, as fancy may suggest. The subsequent pruning is designed chiefly to regulate the growth of the rose, encouraging the progress of the long leading shoots until they have reached the required height, and removing side-shoots where they are too thick. Where a vacant space occurs, a strong neighboring shoot may be pruned back in spring to a single eye. This will stimulate52 it to a vigorous growth, producing a stem which will serve to fill the gap. Of the young shoots, which, more or less, will rise every season from the root, the greater part should be cut away, reserving two or three to take the place of the old original stems when these become weak by age. When these climbing roses are used for pillars, they may either be trained vertically53, or wound in a spiral form around the supporting column.
Roses of more moderate growth are often trained to poles or small pillars from six to twelve feet high. Some of the Hybrid China roses are, as before mentioned, well adapted to this use; and even some of the most vigorous Moss roses, such as Princess Adelaide, may be so trained. Where a pole is used, two stems are sufficient. These should be examined, and cut back to the first strong and plump bud, removing the weaker buds always found towards the extremity54 of a stem. Then let the stems so pruned lie flat on the earth till the buds break into leaf, after which they are to be tied to the pole. If they were tied up immediately, the sap, obeying its natural tendency, would flow upward, expanding the highest bud, and leaving many of those below dormant, so that a portion of the stem would be bare. (The same course of proceeding55 may be followed with equal advantage in the case of wall and trellis roses.) The highest bud now throws up a strong leading shoot, while the stem below becomes furnished with an abundance of small side-shoots. In the following spring, the leading shoot is to be pruned back to the first strong bud, and the treatment of the previous year repeated. By pursuing this process, the pillar may, in the course of two or three years, be enveloped56 from the ground to the summit with a mass of leaves and blossoms.
These and all other rose-pruning operations are, in the Northern States, best effected in March, or the end of February; since roses pruned in autumn are apt to be severely injured and sometimes killed by the severity of our winters.
Nothing is more beneficial to roses than a frequent digging and stirring of the soil around them. The surface should never be allowed to become hard, but should be kept light and porous57 by hoeing or forking several times in the course of the season. A yearly application of manure will be of great advantage. It may be applied58 in the autumn or in the spring, and forked in around the plants. Cultivators who wish to obtain the finest possible blooms sometimes apply liquid manure early in the summer, immediately after the flower-buds are formed. This penetrates59 at once to the roots, and takes immediate20 effect on the growing bud.
The amateur may perhaps draw some useful hints from an experiment made by the writer in cultivating roses, with a view to obtaining the best possible individual flowers. A piece of land about sixty feet long by forty wide was "trenched" throughout to the depth of two feet and a half, and enriched with three layers of manure. The first was placed at eighteen inches from the surface; the second, at about nine inches; and the third was spread on the surface itself, and afterwards dug in. The virgin60 soil was a dense yellow loam of considerable depth; and, by the operation of "trenching," it was thoroughly mixed and incorporated with the black surface soil. Being too stiff and heavy, a large quantity of sandy road-scrapings was laid on with the surface-dressing of manure. When the ground was prepared, the roses were planted in rows. They consisted of Hardy June, Moss, Hybrid Perpetual, Bourbon, and a few of the more hardy Noisette roses. They were planted early in spring, and cut back at the same time close to the ground. Many of the Perpétuais and Bourbons flowered the first season, and all grew with a remarkable61 vigor. In November, just before the ground froze, a spadesman, working backward midway between the rows, dug a trench of the depth and width of his spade, throwing the earth in a ridge62 upon the roots of the roses as he proceeded. This answered a double purpose. The ridge of earth protected the roots and several inches of the stems, while the trench acted as a drain. In the spring, the earth of the ridge was drawn63 back into the trench with a hoe, and the roses pruned with great severity; some of the weak-growing Perpetuals and Mosses64 being cut to within two inches of the earth, and all the weak and sickly stems removed altogether. The whole ground was then forked over. The bloom was abundant, and the flowers of uncommon65 size and symmetry. Had the pruning been less severe, the mass of bloom would have been greater, but the individual flowers by no means of so good quality.
Of budded roses we shall speak hereafter, in treating of propagation. There is one kind, however, which it will be well to notice here. In England and on the Continent, it is a common practice to bud roses on tall stems or standards of the Dog Rose, or other strong stock, sometimes at a height of five feet or more from the ground. The head of bloom thus produced has a very striking effect, especially when the budded rose is of a variety with long slender shoots, adapted to form what is called a "weeper."
In France, standard roses are frequently planted near together in circular or oval beds, the tallest stems being in the centre, and the rest diminishing in regular gradation to the edge of the bed, which is surrounded with dwarf66 roses. Thus a mound67 or hill of bloom is produced with a very striking and beautiful effect.
Unfortunately, the severe cold and sudden changes of the Northern States, and especially of New England, are very unfavorable to standard roses. The hot sun scorches68 and dries the tall, bare stem; and the sharp cold of winter frequently kills, and in almost every case greatly injures, the budded rose at the top. It is only by using great and very troublesome precaution that standards can here be kept in a thriving condition. This may be done most effectually by cutting or loosening the roots on one side, laying the rose flat on the ground, and covering it during winter under a ridge of earth. Some protection of the stem from the hot sun of July and August can hardly be dispensed69 with.
With regard to the mounds70 of standard roses first mentioned, it is scarcely worth while to attempt them here; but a very good substitute is within our reach. By choosing roses with a view to their different degrees of vigor,—planting the tall and robust71 kinds in the middle, and those of more moderate growth in regular gradation around them,—we may imitate the French mounds without the necessity of employing standards. Of course it will require time, and also judicious72 pruning, to perfect such a bed of roses; but, when this is done, it will be both a beautiful and permanent ornament73 of the lawn or garden.
A new mode of growing roses, so as to form a tall pyramid instead of a standard, has been recently introduced in England. Instead of inserting buds at the top of the stem only, they are inserted at intervals74 throughout its whole length, thus clothing it with verdure and flowers. By this means it is effectually protected from the sun, and one of the dangers which in our climate attend standard roses is averted75. The following directions are copied from a late number of the "Gardener's Chronicle:"—
"Some strong two-years-old stocks of the Manetti Rose should be planted in November, in a piece of ground well exposed to sun and air. The soil should have dressings76 of manure, and be stirred to nearly two feet in depth. In the months of July and August of the following year, they will be in a fit state to bud. They should have one bud inserted in each stock close to the ground. The sort to be chosen for this preliminary budding is a very old Hybrid China Rose, called Madame Pisaroni; a rose with a most vigorous and robust habit, which, budded on strong Manet-ti stocks, will often make shoots from six to seven feet in length, and stout77 and robust in proportion. In the month of February following, the stocks in which are live buds should be all cut down to within six inches of the bud. In May, the buds will begin to shoot vigorously: if there are more shoots than one from each bud, they must be removed, leaving only one, which in June should be supported with a slight stake, or the wind may displace it.
"By the end of August, this shoot ought to be from five to six feet in height, and is then in a proper state for budding to form a pyramid. Some of the most free-growing and beautiful of the Hybrid Perpetual roses should be selected, and budded on these stems in the following manner: Commence about nine inches from the ground, inserting one bud; then on the opposite side of the stock, and at the same distance from the lower bud, insert another; and then at the same distance another and another; so that buds are on all sides of the tree up to about five feet in height, which, in the aggregate78, may amount to nine buds. "You will thus have formed the foundation of a pyramid. I need scarcely add that the shoots from the stock must be carefully removed during the growing season, so as to throw all its strength into the buds. It will also be advisable to pinch in the three topmost buds rather severely the first season, or they will, to use a common expression, draw up the sap too rapidly, and thus weaken the lower buds. In the course of a year or two, magnificent pyramids may thus be formed, their stems completely covered with foliage, and far surpassing any thing yet seen in rose culture."
Another new method of culture is put forward in recent French and English journals, and is said to have proved very successful, increasing both the size of the flowers and the period of bloom. I cannot speak of it from trial; but, as it may be found worth an experiment, I extract from the "Florist80 and Pomologist" the account there given of the process by a Mr. Perry, who was one of the first to practise it. He says,—
"As I have now spoken of the advantages attendant upon this mode of training, I will proceed to explain the method of carrying it out. I will suppose that the plants are well established, and are either on their own roots, or budded low on the Manetti (the former I prefer). The operation of bending and pegging-down should be performed in the month of March, or early in April. All the small growth should be cut clean away, and the ends of the strong shoots cut off to the extent only of a few inches. These shoots should then be carefully bent81 to the ground, and fastened down by means of strong wooden pegs82, sufficiently83 stout to last the season, and to retain the branches in their proper positions. Care must be taken that the branches do not split off at the base; but the operator will soon perceive which is the best and easiest mode of bending the tree to his wishes. Many shoots will spring up from the base of the plants, too strong to produce summer blooms; but most of them will gratify the cultivator will such noble flowers in the autumn that will delight the heart of any lover of this queen of flowers. These branches will be the groundwork for the next year. I have recently been engaged in cutting all the old wood away which last season did such good duty, and am now furnished with an ample supply of snoots from four to eight feet high, which, if devoid84 of leaves, would strongly remind me of fine raspberry-canes, and which, by their appearance, promise what they will do for the forthcoming season. I would suggest that these long shoots should now be merely bundled together, and a stake put to each plant, so as to prevent their being injured by the wind. In this state let them remain until the latter end of March, and then proceed as I have before mentioned. I feel convinced, that, when this method of pegging-down and dwarfing85 stronggrowing roses becomes generally known, many of the justly esteemed86 and valuable robust show varieties will occupy the position in our flower-gardens they are justly entitled to."
A good soil, a good situation, free air and full sun, joined with good manuring, good pruning, and good subsequent culture, will prevent more diseases than the most skilful87 practitioner88 would ever be able to cure. There are certain diseases, however, to which roses, under the best circumstances, are more or less liable. Of these, the most common, and perhaps the worst, is mildew89. It consists in the formation on the leaves and stems of ? sort of minute fungus90, sometimes presenting the appearance of a white frost. Though often thought to be the result of dampness, it frequently appears in the dryest weather. Many of the Bourbon roses, and those of the Hybrid Perpétuais nearest akin91 to the Bourbons, are peculiarly liable to it. In the greenhouse, the best remedy is sulphur, melted and evaporated at a heat not high enough to cause it to burn. In the open air, the flour of sulphur may be sifted92 over the diseased plants. English florists93 use a remedy against mildew and other kinds of fungus, which is highly recommended, but of which I cannot speak from trial. It consists in syringing the plants affected94 with a solution of two ounces of blue vitriol dissolved in a largo95 stable bucket of water.
The worst enemies of the rose belong to the insect world. Of these there are four, which, in this part of the country, cause far more mischief96 than all the rest combined. The first is the aphis, or green fly; the second is the rose-slug, or larva of the saw-fly; the third is the leaf-hopper, sometimes called the thrip; and the fourth is the small beetle97, popularly called the rose-bug. The first three are vulnerable, and can be got rid of by using the right means. The slug is a small, green, semi-transparent98 grub, which appears on the leaves of the rose about the middle of June, eats away their vital part, and leaves nothing but a brown skeleton, till at length the whole bush looks as if burned. The aphis clings to the ends of young shoots, and sucks out their sap. It is prolific99 beyond belief, and a single one will soon increase to thousands. Both are quickly killed by a solution of whale-oil soap, or a strong decoction of tobacco, which should be applied with a syringe in the morning or evening, as the application of any liquid to the leaves of a plant under the hot sun is always injurious. The same remedy will kill the leaf-hopper, which, being much more agile100 than the others, is best assailed101 on a cold day, when its activity is to some degree chilled out of it. Both sides of the leaves should be syringed, and the plant thoroughly saturated102 with the soap or tobacco-water.
Two thorough and well-timed applications will suffice to destroy the year's crop of slugs.
The rose-bug is endowed with a constitution which defies tobacco and soap; and, though innumerable remedies have been proposed, we know no better plan than to pick them off the bushes by hand, or, watching a time when they are chilled with cold, to shake them off upon a cloth laid on the ground beneath. In either case, sure work should be made of them by scalding or crushing them to death.
The following account of the rose-bug and the slug is from Dr. Harris's work on "Insects Injurious to Vegetation:"—
"The saw-fly of the rose, which, as it does not seem to have been described before, may be called Selandria Rosae, from its favorite plant, so nearly resembles the slug-worm saw-fly as not to be distinguished103 therefrom except by a practised observer. It is also very much like Selandria barda, Vitis, and pygmaea, but has not the red thorax of these three closely-allied species. It is of a deep and shining black color. The first two pairs of legs are brownish-gray, or dirty white, except the thighs104, which are almost entirely105 black. The hind106 legs are black, with whitish knees. The wings are smoky and transparent, with dark-brown veins107, and a brown spot near the middle of the edge of the first pair. The body of the male is a little more than three-twentieths of an inch long; that of the female, one-fifth of an inch or more; and the wings expand nearly or quite two-fifths of an inch. These saw-flies come out of the ground at various times between the 20th of May and the middle of June, during which period they pair, and lay their eggs. The females do not fly much, and may be seen, during most of the day, resting on the leaves; and, when touched, they draw up their legs, and fall to the ground. The males are now active, fly from one rose-bush to another, and hover108 around their sluggish109 partners. The latter, when about to lay their eggs, turn a little on one side, unsheathe their saws, and thrust them obliquely111 into the skin of the leaf, depositing in each incision112 thus made a single egg. The young begin to hatch in ten days or a fortnight after the eggs are laid. They may sometimes be found on the leaves as early as the 1st of June, but do not usually appear in considerable numbers till the 20th of the same month. How long they are in coming to maturity113, I have not particularly observed; but the period of their existence in the caterpillar114 state probably does not exceed three weeks. They somewhat resemble young slug-worms in form, but are not quite so convex. They have a small, round, yellowish head, with a black dot on each side of it; and are provided with twenty-two short legs. The body is green above, paler at the sides, and yellowish beneath; and it is soft and almost transparent, like jelly. The skin of the back is transversely wrinkled, and covered with minute elevated points; and there are two small, triple-pointed warts115 on the edge of the first ring, immediately behind the head.
"The gelatinous and sluggish creatures eat the upper surface of the leaf in large, irregular patches, leaving the veins and the skin beneath untouched; and they are sometimes so thick, that not a leaf on the bushes is spared by them, and the whole foliage looks as if it had been scorched116 by fire, and drops off soon afterwards. They cast their skins several times, leaving them extended and fastened on the leaves: after the last moulting, they lose their semi-transparent and greenish color, and acquire an opaque117 yellowish hue118. They then leave the rose-bushes; some of them slowly creeping down the stem, and others rolling up and dropping off, especially when the bushes are shaken by the wind. Having reached the ground, they burrow119 to the depth of an inch or more in the earth, where each one makes for itself a small oval cell of grains of earth, cemented with a little gummy silk. Having finished their transformations120, and turned to flies within their cells, they come out of the ground early in August, and lay their eggs for a second brood of young. These, in turn, perform their appointed work of destruction in the autumn: they then go into the ground, make their earthen cells, remain therein throughout the winter, and appear in the winged form in the following spring and summer. During several years past, these pernicious vermin have infested122 the rose-bushes in the vicinity of Boston, and have proved so injurious to them as to have elicited123 the attention of the Massachusetts Horticultural Society, by whom a premium124 of one hundred dollars, for the most successful mode of destroying these insects, was offered in the summer of 1840. In the year 1832, I first observed them in the gardens in Cambridge, and then made myself acquainted with their transformations. At that time they had not reached Milton, my former place of residence; and they did not appear in that place till six or seven years later. They now seem to be gradually extending in all directions; and an effectual method for preserving our roses from their attacks has become very desirable to all persons who set any value on this beautiful ornament of our gardens and shrubberies. Showering or syringing the bushes, with a liquor made by mixing with water the juice expressed from tobacco by tobacconists, has been recommended: but some caution is necessary in making this mixture of a proper strength; for, if too strong, it is injurious to plants; and the experiment does not seem, as yet, to have been conducted with sufficient care to insure safety and success. Dusting lime over the plants, when wet with dew, has been tried, and found of some use; but this and all other remedies will probably yield in efficacy to Mr. Haggerston's mixture of whale-oil soap and water, in the proportion of two pounds of the soap to fifteen gallons of water.
"Particular directions, drawn up by Mr. Haggerston himself, for the preparation and use of this simple and cheap application, may be found in the 'Boston Courier' for the 25th of June, 1841, and also in most of our agricultural and horticultural journals of the same time. The utility of this mixture has already been repeatedly mentioned in this treatise29, and it may be applied in other cases with advantage. Mr. Haggerston finds that it effectually destroys many kinds of insects; and he particularly mentions plant-lice, red spiders, canker-worms, and a little jumping insect, which has lately been found quite as hurtful to rose-bushes as the slugs or young of the saw-fly. The little insect alluded125 to has been mistaken for a Thrips, or vinc-frettor: it is, however, a leaf-hopper, or species of Tettiyonia, and is described in a former part of this treatise.
"The rose-chafer, or rose-bug as it is more commonly and incorrectly called, is also a diurnal126 insect. It is the Melolontha subspinosa of Fabricius, by whom it was first described, and belongs to the modern genus Macrodaclylus of Latreille. Common as this insect is in the vicinity of Boston, it is, or was a few years ago, unknown in the northern and western parts of Massachusetts, in New Hampshire, and in Maine. It may, therefore, be well to give a brief description of it. This beetle measures seven-twentieths of an inch in length. Its body is slender, tapers127 before and behind, and is entirely covered with very short and close ashen-yellow down; the thorax is long and narrow, angularly widened in the middle of each side, which suggested the name subspinosa, or somewhat spined128; the legs are slender, and of a pale-red color; the joints129 of the feet are tipped with black, and are very long; which caused Latreille to call the genus Macrodactylus: that is, long toe, or long foot.
"The natural history of the rose-chafer, one of the greatest scourges130 with which our gardens and nurseries have been afflicted131, was for a long time involved in mystery, but is at last fully79 cleared up. The prevalence of this insect on the rose, and its annual appearance coinciding with the blossoming of that flower, have gained for it the popular name by which it is here known. For some time after they were first noticed, rose-bugs appeared to be confined to their favorite, the blossoms of the rose; but within forty years they have prodigiously132 increased in number, have attacked at random133 various kinds of plants in swarms134, and have become notorious for their extensive and deplorable ravages135. The grape-vine, in particular, the cherry, plum, and apple trees, have annually136 suffered by their depredations137: many other fruit-trees and shrubs139, garden vegetables and corn, and even the trees of the forest and the grass of the fields, have been laid under contribution by these indiscriminate feeders, by whom leaves, flowers, and fruits are alike consumed. The unexpected arrival of these insects in swarms at their first coming, and their sudden disappearance140 at the close of their career, are remarkable facts in their history. They come forth from the ground during the second week in June, or about the time of the blossoming of the damask-rose, and remain from thirty to forty days. At the end of this period the males become exhausted141, fall to the ground, and perish; while the females enter the earth, lay their eggs, return to the surface, and, after lingering a few days, die also.
"The eggs laid by each female are about thirty in number, and are deposited from one to four inches beneath the surface of the soil: they are nearly globular, whitish, and about one-thirtieth of an inch in diameter, and are hatched twenty days after they are laid. The young larv? begin to feed on such tender roots as are within their reach. Like other grubs of the Scarab?ians, when not eating they lie upon the side, with the body covered, so that the head and tail are nearly in contact: they move with difficulty on a level surface, and are continually falling over on one side or the other. They attain142 their full size in the autumn, being then nearly three-quarters of an inch long, and about an eighth of an inch in diameter. They are of a yellowish-white color, with a tinge143 of blue towards the hinder extremity, which is thick, and obtuse144 or rounded. A few short hairs are scattered145 on the surface of the body. There are six short legs; namely, a pair to each of the first three rings behind the head: and the latter is covered with a horny shell of a pale rust110 color. In October they descend146 below the reach of frost, and pass the winter in a torpid147 state. In the spring they approach towards the surface, and each one forms for itself a little cell of an oval shape by turning round a great many times, so as to compress the earth, and render the inside of the cavity hard and smooth. Within this cell the grub is transformed to a pupa during the month of May by casting off its skin, which is pushed downwards148 in folds from the head to the tail. The pupa has somewhat the form of the perfected beetle, but is of a yellowish-white color; its short, stump-like wings, its antenn?, and its legs, are folded upon the breast; and its whole body is enclosed in a thin film, that wraps each part separately. During the month of June, this filmy skin is rent: the included beetle withdraws from its body and its limbs, bursts open its earthen cell, and digs its way to the surface of the ground. Thus the various changes, from the egg to the full development of the perfected beetle, are completed within the space of one year.
"Such being the metamorphoses and habits of these insects, it is evident that we cannot attack them in the egg, the grub, or the pupa state: the enemy in these stages is beyond our reach, and is subject to the control only of the natural but unknown means appointed by the Author of Nature to keep the insect tribes in check. When they have issued from their subterranean149 retreats, and have congregated150 upon our vines, trees, and other vegetable productions, in the complete enjoyment151 of their propensities152, we must unite our efforts to seize and crush the invaders153. They must indeed be crushed, scalded, or burned, to deprive them of life; for they are not affected by any of the applications usually found destructive to other insects. Experience has proved the utility of gathering154 them by hand, or of shaking them or brushing them from the plants into tin vessels155 containing a little water. They should be collected daily during the period of their visitation, and should be committed to the flames, or killed by scalding water. The late John Lowell, Esq., states that, in 1823, he discovered on a solitary156 apple-tree the rose-bugs 'in vast numbers, such as could not be described, and would not be believed if they were described, or at least none but an ocular witness could conceive of their numbers. Destruction by hand was out of the question,' in this case. He put sheets under the tree, shook them down, and burned them.
"Dr. Green of Mansfield, whose investigations157 have thrown much light on the history of this insect, proposes protecting plants with millinet, and says that in this way only did he succeed in securing his grape-vines from depredation138. His remarks also show the utility of gathering them. 'Eighty-six of these spoilers,' says he, 'were known to infest121 a single rose-bud, and were crushed with one grasp of the hand.' Suppose, as was probably the case, that one-half of them were females: by this destruction, eight hundred eggs, at least, were prevented from becoming matured. During the time of their prevalence, rose-bugs are sometimes found in immense numbers on the flowers of the common white-weed, or ox-eyed daisy (Chrysanthemum leucanihemum); a worthless plant, which has come to us from Europe, and has been suffered to overrun our pastures and encroach on our mowing-lands. In certain cases, it may become expedient159 rapidly to mow158 down the infested white-weed in dry pastures, and consume it, with the sluggish rose-bugs, on the spot.
"Our insect-eating birds undoubtedly160 devour161 many of these insects, and deserve to be cherished and protected for their services. Rose-bugs are also eaten greedily by domesticated162 fowls163; and when they become exhausted and fall to the ground, or when they are about to lay their eggs, they are destroyed by moles164, insects, and other animals, which lie in wait to seize them. Dr. Green informs us that a species of dragon-fly, or devil's-needle, devours165 them. He also says that an insect, which he calls the enemy of the cut-worm (probably the larva of a Carabus or predaceous ground-beetle), preys166 on the grubs of the common dor-bug. In France, the golden ground-beetle (Carabus auratus) devours the female dor, or chafer, at the moment when she is about to deposit her eggs. I have taken one specimen167 of this fine ground-beetle in Massachusetts; and we have several other kinds equally predaceous, which probably contribute to check the increase of our native Melolonthians."
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1
belle
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| n.靓女 | |
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forth
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| adv.向前；向外，往外 | |
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deficient
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| adj.不足的，不充份的，有缺陷的 | |
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4
nourishment
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| n.食物，营养品；营养情况 | |
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5
impair
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| v.损害，损伤；削弱，减少 | |
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dense
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| a.密集的，稠密的，浓密的；密度大的 | |
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loam
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| n.沃土 | |
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8
manure
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| n.粪，肥，肥粒；vt.施肥 | |
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9
lighter
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| n.打火机，点火器；驳船；v.用驳船运送；light的比较级 | |
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10
dressing
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| n.(食物)调料；包扎伤口的用品，敷料 | |
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thoroughly
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| adv.完全地，彻底地，十足地 | |
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12
inverted
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| adj.反向的，倒转的v.使倒置，使反转( invert的过去式和过去分词 ) | |
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13
superfluous
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| adj.过多的，过剩的，多余的 | |
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14
exemption
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| n.豁免，免税额，免除 | |
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15
insidious
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| adj.阴险的，隐匿的，暗中为害的，（疾病）不知不觉之间加剧 | |
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16
lawful
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| adj.法律许可的，守法的，合法的 | |
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17
grove
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| n.林子，小树林，园林 | |
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18
maple
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| n.槭树，枫树，槭木 | |
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19
trench
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| n./v.(挖)沟，(挖)战壕 | |
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20
immediate
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| adj.立即的；直接的，最接近的；紧靠的 | |
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21
vigor
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| n.活力，精力，元气 | |
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22
hardy
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| adj.勇敢的，果断的，吃苦的；耐寒的 | |
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23
cedar
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| n.雪松，香柏(木) | |
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24
boughs
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| 大树枝( bough的名词复数 ) | |
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25
pruning
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| n.修枝，剪枝，修剪v.修剪（树木等）( prune的现在分词 )；精简某事物，除去某事物多余的部分 | |
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26
prune
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| n.酶干；vt.修剪，砍掉，削减；vi.删除 | |
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27
defer
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| vt.推迟，拖延；vi.(to)遵从，听从，服从 | |
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28
peculiar
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| adj.古怪的，异常的；特殊的，特有的 | |
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29
treatise
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| n.专著；(专题)论文 | |
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30
treatises
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| n.专题著作，专题论文，专著( treatise的名词复数 ) | |
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31
severely
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| adv.严格地；严厉地；非常恶劣地 | |
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32
pruned
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| v.修剪（树木等）( prune的过去式和过去分词 )；精简某事物，除去某事物多余的部分 | |
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33
precisely
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| adv.恰好，正好，精确地，细致地 | |
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34
inverse
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| adj.相反的，倒转的，反转的；n.相反之物；v.倒转 | |
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35
profusion
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| n.挥霍；丰富 | |
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36
shrub
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| n.灌木，灌木丛 | |
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37
dormant
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| adj.暂停活动的；休眠的；潜伏的 | |
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38
stimulus
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| n.刺激，刺激物，促进因素，引起兴奋的事物 | |
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39
secondly
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| adv.第二，其次 | |
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40
ripened
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| v.成熟，使熟( ripen的过去式和过去分词 ) | |
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41
unripe
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| adj.未成熟的；n.未成熟 | |
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42
defective
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| adj.有毛病的，有问题的，有瑕疵的 | |
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43
hybrid
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| n.(动，植）杂种，混合物 | |
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44
interfere
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| v.(in)干涉，干预；(with)妨碍，打扰 | |
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45
considerably
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| adv.极大地；相当大地；在很大程度上 | |
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46
moss
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| n.苔，藓，地衣 | |
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47
foliage
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| n.叶子，树叶，簇叶 | |
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48
protruding
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| v.（使某物）伸出，（使某物）突出( protrude的现在分词 )；凸 | |
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49
stump
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| n.残株，烟蒂，讲演台；v.砍断，蹒跚而走 | |
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50
arbor
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| n.凉亭；树木 | |
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51
diverging
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| 分开( diverge的现在分词 )； 偏离； 分歧； 分道扬镳 | |
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52
stimulate
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| vt.刺激，使兴奋；激励，使…振奋 | |
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53
vertically
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| adv.垂直地 | |
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54
extremity
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| n.末端，尽头；尽力；终极；极度 | |
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55
proceeding
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| n.行动，进行，(pl.)会议录，学报 | |
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56
enveloped
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| v.包围，笼罩，包住( envelop的过去式和过去分词 ) | |
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57
porous
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| adj.可渗透的，多孔的 | |
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58
applied
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| adj.应用的；v.应用，适用 | |
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59
penetrates
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| v.穿过( penetrate的第三人称单数 )；刺入；了解；渗透 | |
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60
virgin
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| n.处女，未婚女子；adj.未经使用的；未经开发的 | |
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61
remarkable
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| adj.显著的，异常的，非凡的，值得注意的 | |
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62
ridge
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| n.山脊；鼻梁；分水岭 | |
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63
drawn
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| v.拖，拉，拔出；adj.憔悴的，紧张的 | |
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64
mosses
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| n. 藓类, 苔藓植物 名词moss的复数形式 | |
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65
uncommon
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| adj.罕见的，非凡的，不平常的 | |
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66
dwarf
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| n.矮子，侏儒，矮小的动植物；vt.使…矮小 | |
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67
mound
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| n.土墩，堤，小山；v.筑堤，用土堆防卫 | |
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68
scorches
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| 烧焦，烤焦( scorch的第三人称单数 )； 使（植物）枯萎，把…晒枯； 高速行驶 | |
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69
dispensed
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| v.分配( dispense的过去式和过去分词 )；施与；配（药） | |
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70
mounds
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| 土堆，土丘( mound的名词复数 )； 一大堆 | |
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71
robust
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| adj.强壮的，强健的，粗野的，需要体力的，浓的 | |
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72
judicious
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| adj.明智的，明断的，能作出明智决定的 | |
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73
ornament
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| v.装饰，美化；n.装饰，装饰物 | |
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74
intervals
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| n.[军事]间隔( interval的名词复数 )；间隔时间；[数学]区间；（戏剧、电影或音乐会的）幕间休息 | |
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75
averted
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| 防止，避免( avert的过去式和过去分词 )； 转移 | |
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76
dressings
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| n.敷料剂；穿衣( dressing的名词复数 )；穿戴；（拌制色拉的）调料；（保护伤口的）敷料 | |
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78
aggregate
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| adj.总计的，集合的；n.总数；v.合计；集合 | |
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79
fully
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| adv.完全地，全部地，彻底地；充分地 | |
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80
florist
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| n.花商；种花者 | |
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81
bent
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| n.爱好，癖好；adj.弯的；决心的，一心的 | |
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82
pegs
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| n.衣夹( peg的名词复数 )；挂钉；系帐篷的桩；弦钮v.用夹子或钉子固定( peg的第三人称单数 )；使固定在某水平 | |
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83
sufficiently
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| adv.足够地，充分地 | |
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84
devoid
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| adj.全无的，缺乏的 | |
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85
dwarfing
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| n.矮化病 | |
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86
esteemed
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| adj.受人尊敬的v.尊敬( esteem的过去式和过去分词 )；敬重；认为；以为 | |
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87
skilful
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| (=skillful)adj.灵巧的，熟练的 | |
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88
practitioner
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| n.实践者，从事者；(医生或律师等)开业者 | |
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89
mildew
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| n.发霉；v.（使）发霉 | |
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90
fungus
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| n.真菌，真菌类植物 | |
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91
akin
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| adj.同族的，类似的 | |
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92
sifted
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| v.筛( sift的过去式和过去分词 )；筛滤；细查；详审 | |
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93
florists
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| n.花商，花农，花卉研究者( florist的名词复数 ) | |
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94
affected
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| adj.不自然的，假装的 | |
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95
largo
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| n.广板乐章；adj.缓慢的，宽广的；adv.缓慢地，宽广地 | |
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96
mischief
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| n.损害，伤害，危害；恶作剧，捣蛋，胡闹 | |
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97
beetle
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| n.甲虫，近视眼的人 | |
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98
transparent
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| adj.明显的，无疑的；透明的 | |
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99
prolific
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| adj.丰富的，大量的；多产的，富有创造力的 | |
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agile
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| adj.敏捷的，灵活的 | |
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assailed
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| v.攻击( assail的过去式和过去分词 )；困扰；质问；毅然应对 | |
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102
saturated
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| a.饱和的，充满的 | |
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103
distinguished
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| adj.卓越的，杰出的，著名的 | |
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104
thighs
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| n.股，大腿( thigh的名词复数 )；食用的鸡（等的）腿 | |
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entirely
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| ad.全部地，完整地；完全地，彻底地 | |
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hind
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| adj.后面的，后部的 | |
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veins
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| n.纹理；矿脉( vein的名词复数 )；静脉；叶脉；纹理 | |
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108
hover
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| vi.翱翔，盘旋；徘徊；彷徨，犹豫 | |
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109
sluggish
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| adj.懒惰的，迟钝的，无精打采的 | |
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rust
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| n.锈；v.生锈；(脑子)衰退 | |
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111
obliquely
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| adv.斜； 倾斜； 间接； 不光明正大 | |
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112
incision
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| n．切口，切开 | |
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113
maturity
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| n.成熟；完成；(支票、债券等)到期 | |
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114
caterpillar
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| n.毛虫，蝴蝶的幼虫 | |
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115
warts
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| n.疣( wart的名词复数 )；肉赘；树瘤；缺点 | |
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116
scorched
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| 烧焦，烤焦( scorch的过去式和过去分词 )； 使（植物）枯萎，把…晒枯； 高速行驶； 枯焦 | |
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opaque
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| adj.不透光的；不反光的，不传导的；晦涩的 | |
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118
hue
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| n.色度；色调；样子 | |
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119
burrow
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| vt.挖掘(洞穴)；钻进；vi.挖洞；翻寻；n.地洞 | |
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120
transformations
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| n.变化( transformation的名词复数 )；转换；转换；变换 | |
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121
infest
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| v.大批出没于；侵扰；寄生于 | |
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122
infested
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| adj.为患的，大批滋生的（常与with搭配）v.害虫、野兽大批出没于( infest的过去式和过去分词 )；遍布于 | |
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123
elicited
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| 引出，探出( elicit的过去式和过去分词 ) | |
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premium
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| n.加付款；赠品；adj.高级的；售价高的 | |
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alluded
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| 提及，暗指( allude的过去式和过去分词 ) | |
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diurnal
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| adj.白天的，每日的 | |
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127
tapers
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| （长形物体的）逐渐变窄( taper的名词复数 )； 微弱的光； 极细的蜡烛 | |
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spined
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| adj.有背骨的，有刺的，有脊柱的 | |
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joints
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| 接头( joint的名词复数 )； 关节； 公共场所（尤指价格低廉的饮食和娱乐场所） （非正式）； 一块烤肉 （英式英语） | |
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scourges
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| 带来灾难的人或东西，祸害( scourge的名词复数 )； 鞭子 | |
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afflicted
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| 使受痛苦，折磨( afflict的过去式和过去分词 ) | |
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prodigiously
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| adv.异常地，惊人地，巨大地 | |
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random
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| adj.随机的；任意的；n.偶然的(或随便的)行动 | |
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swarms
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| 蜂群，一大群( swarm的名词复数 ) | |
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ravages
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| 劫掠后的残迹，破坏的结果，毁坏后的残迹 | |
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annually
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| adv.一年一次，每年 | |
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depredations
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| n.劫掠，毁坏( depredation的名词复数 ) | |
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138
depredation
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| n.掠夺，蹂躏 | |
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shrubs
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| 灌木( shrub的名词复数 ) | |
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disappearance
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| n.消失，消散，失踪 | |
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exhausted
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| adj.极其疲惫的，精疲力尽的 | |
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142
attain
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| vt.达到，获得，完成 | |
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tinge
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| vt.(较淡)着色于，染色；使带有…气息；n.淡淡色彩，些微的气息 | |
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144
obtuse
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| adj.钝的；愚钝的 | |
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scattered
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| adj.分散的，稀疏的；散步的；疏疏落落的 | |
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146
descend
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| vt./vi.传下来，下来，下降 | |
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147
torpid
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| adj.麻痹的，麻木的，迟钝的 | |
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148
downwards
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| adj./adv.向下的（地），下行的（地） | |
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149
subterranean
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| adj.地下的，地表下的 | |
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150
congregated
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| （使）集合，聚集( congregate的过去式和过去分词 ) | |
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151
enjoyment
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| n.乐趣；享有；享用 | |
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152
propensities
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| n.倾向，习性( propensity的名词复数 ) | |
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153
invaders
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| 入侵者，侵略者，侵入物( invader的名词复数 ) | |
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154
gathering
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| n.集会，聚会，聚集 | |
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155
vessels
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| n.血管( vessel的名词复数 )；船；容器；（具有特殊品质或接受特殊品质的）人 | |
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156
solitary
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| adj.孤独的，独立的，荒凉的；n.隐士 | |
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157
investigations
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| （正式的）调查( investigation的名词复数 )； 侦查； 科学研究； 学术研究 | |
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158
mow
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| v.割（草、麦等），扫射，皱眉；n.草堆，谷物堆 | |
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159
expedient
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| adj.有用的，有利的；n.紧急的办法，权宜之计 | |
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160
undoubtedly
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| adv.确实地，无疑地 | |
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161
devour
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| v.吞没；贪婪地注视或谛听，贪读；使着迷 | |
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162
domesticated
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| adj.喜欢家庭生活的；（指动物）被驯养了的v.驯化( domesticate的过去式和过去分词 ) | |
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163
fowls
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| 鸟( fowl的名词复数 )； 禽肉； 既不是这； 非驴非马 | |
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164
moles
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| 防波堤( mole的名词复数 )； 鼹鼠； 痣； 间谍 | |
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165
devours
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| 吞没( devour的第三人称单数 )； 耗尽； 津津有味地看； 狼吞虎咽地吃光 | |
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166
preys
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| v.掠食( prey的第三人称单数 )；掠食；折磨；（人）靠欺诈为生 | |
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167
specimen
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| n.样本，标本 | |
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