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THE TROPICAL AGRICULTURIST. [September i, 1885, 



deposit of sea-sand, or a mixture of the two. We be- 

 lieve that the average cabook soil, when deeply 

 trenched, drained and liberally enriched with farm- 

 yard manure, is by no means a bad one for roses. 

 When the soil is of a strong, stiff and adhesive 

 nalui-e, we would stronRly recommend that portions of 

 it be charred or buiueJ and that it be rendered 

 lighter by an admixture of strong sand, ashes and 

 charcoal broken up into small nodules. Another most 

 valuable toil, or we might call it soil and manure com- 

 bined, is calcined ant-hills which can be procured 

 at no great outl.iy. These conical mounds form natural 

 k'lus, aud when a tlue is opened at tlieir base and 

 a strong heac established inside the cones, they can 

 be liioken down and charred by degrees. These ant- 

 hills will each yield on an average, a cart-load of 

 most valuable rich soil, admirably suited for roses 

 and pot plants. The sea-sand deposit, the principal 

 soil of the Cinnamon Gardens, is by no means in- 

 fertile, and it is astonishing what it will produce 

 when manure is freely added to it. To see what can 

 be done by nn e.arnest and skilful horticulturist, with 

 this apparently worthless barren stuff, one has only 

 to visit Mr. Wright's delightful gardens at Turret 

 Head. There will be found flourishing in great variety, 

 choioe plants and shrubs of the tropica, aealeo flowers 

 iiud vegetabUs of more temperate climes, and on one 

 occasion, we recollect seeing beds of melons producing 

 deloioua fruit in abundance. We need scarcely say, 

 however, that this light sand, which sometimes extends 

 to a ooDsideiable depth, is not euitable for roeee, It 

 ought to be largely replaced or mixed with strong, red, 

 rich and, if possible, virgin eoil. A mixture of the sand 

 deposits, cabook, liberally enriched with farmyard man- 

 ure, ought to grow rosea fairly well ; but the soil in 

 which the rose delights is deep, rich, comparatively 

 strong land, in which to throw down and fix firmly 

 its long nirehke roots. In preparing the eoil for 

 the reception of the rose plant', we would recommend 

 that it be deeply and uniformly trenched and liberally 

 mixed and enriched with farmyard manure during the 

 operation. A very common system of planting the 

 rose, but, in our opinion, a very objectionable one, 

 Is to dig a huge hole and discard the soil thus ex- 

 cavated, no matter whether it be poor gravelly inert 

 stuff, or fine strong red soil, just the kind most suit- 

 able. This rose grave is then filled in with manure, 

 leaf-mould, coir refuse and any other rich materials 

 at hand, without a single basketful of good honest 

 soil. The drainage from the usually baked soil all 

 round, natural'y finds its way into this reserroir, the 

 contents of wh ch soon get saturated, and in wet 

 weather the whole mass becomes a sour sodden spongy 

 dung pit CD which gigantic stocks of celery might 

 he grown, but wh ch is certainly no congenial 

 home for the rise, Treated in this way, it seldom 

 dof-B so wpD OB it Would have done on the original 

 snil, veil trenchedi fiii'ked snd BBisjiBheJ with, my 

 c.ae=;wtutietli part of ths tnRniil'6 iKuB wasted. 

 VVheu pUntlng out the rose trees, It is Weil tn mix 

 ■With tfie !!oif all round the roois, a bEsketfnl »[ 

 tild dfcayed fiiaoufe mould, which will encourage add 

 httstSil the gfowth of new rootlets. 



Ill — MANtTRfc, judiciously selected and applied, is 

 most essential to success in rose gi'oWing. The handiest 

 and one of the very best manures, is ordiiiary farm- 

 yaid compost. By this we mean, the dung and 

 refuse from the stable and cowhouse, pig and poultry 

 manure and the ashes and refuse from the kitchen, 

 aI well mixed and fermented. The stage of decay, 

 at which the manure ought to be applied, will de- 

 ppud greatly ou the nature of the operation and the 

 cinslstenoy of the eoil. If for newly trenched land 

 of a strt clayey nature, it need not be over well 

 deoomposfd, as the half-decayed litler, when well 

 a!t,aihali<l Willi the foil acts adiiilralily in render ■ 



ing it more friable and porous. In the case of lighter 

 and more porous soils, the coinpott ought to be 

 thoroughly fermented and well decayed, but in no 

 cise would we recommend the dung heap to be left 

 till it becomes little more than rich black mould. 

 It bus then lost to a great extent, its principal fer- 

 tilizing and stimulating property— its ammonia. We 

 can also recommend bones as an excellent and last- 

 ing manure for roses, and we would advise its being 

 applied in combination with poonac, and wood ashes, 

 in tht? proportions of 1, '2 and 3 respectively — the 

 principal use of the ashes beinp, to ward off the 

 attacks of white-ants, beetles and other injurinus insects 

 attracted by the poonac. 



Niijht Soil is a very powerful and suitable manure, 

 for roses, but in connection with it we have the usual 

 prejudices to contend with, and the difficulty in its 

 application. 



Of fsh mani/re we have bad no experience, but should 

 imagine it would be suitable, strong and stimulating,. 

 As rrgards artificial vianures—they are dangerous, 

 and reijuire to be used with the greatest caution. 

 Many years ago in the West Indies we had painful 

 experience of the mischief caused by some of these 

 manures aud to ibis day ve have a wholesome 

 dread of them. Guano ard sulphate of ammonia 

 if used at all, ought to be given only in a highly-diluted 

 form, and applied as a very weak solution, of, say, 

 1 oz. 1 drachm lesptotively to the gallon of water, 



We will now give as briefly as possible, a list of 

 manures suitable for ro.*es, and available here, in the 

 ordtr of merit generally assigned to them, by our 

 great Engliih rosarian.-, Turner of Slougb, Paul of 

 Cheshunt, &c., &o. 



1. — Pio Manure, very powerful and efficacious. 

 2. — Night Soil, highly recommended. 

 3.— Farmyard Manure, one of the best, and least 

 offensive to our noses. 



4. — Bones, an admirable and lasting manure, would 



recommend it in combination with poonac and ashes, 



5. — Burned earth and ant hills, most useful 



manure, especially in the case of wet iind adhesive soils. 



6 — Soot, very beneficial, especially for tea roses. 



7 — Guano, too stimulating, throws up luxuriant 



wood and foliage, but comparatively few blossoms. 



Never use a stronger solution tban one ounce to 



the gallon of water. 



8. — Sulphate of Ammonia, still more stimulating, 

 and dangerous, and to be used with great oaation 

 say, 1 drachm to gallon of water. 



9. — Blood of animals, very euitable for roses, pro- 

 ducing fine blooms, 



Finally, on the demise of any of our doraettio 

 animals or pets, by all means let us honor them with 

 a tomb among the roses. Decaying animal tissue is 

 most beneficial, but should not Xe placed In too 

 close proximity to the I'oots, until well decompoiedi 

 rV.—i*KAiNA'(E.— A free est for all superfluoui 

 niOistlirei both abore and beloWj is of the greatest 

 itnporianse, and ih the case of stiS' retentive soils fa 

 absolutely necessary. In the latter case let parallel 

 drains be cut, at intervals of 12 or 15 ft. and 3^ to 

 4 ft. in depth. Tile draining is of course the best, and 

 perhaps the cheapest in the long run as space is saved, 

 and no periodical weedings and cleaning out are re- 

 quired. A'l to the forin of tile to be used, we should 

 recrmmend simple tapering tubes of say 13 inches in 

 lengtb, and so made, that the tapering end of one fit* 

 loosely the thiclt end of the other, for say about an inch; 

 The : dvantasjes Ih a form of tile has over the ordinary 

 sole tile, ie, that they o-e lefS apt to get displaced 

 and choked, aie easier laiddcwn and cheaper. They 

 oi'st little more than ordinary rrofirg tiles or say 

 RITi per 1,1 00 feet. The diameter of the tube ma 



