366 



REMARKS ON ROSES. 



In adililioM lo the preceding general 

 properties applicable to all classes of Soses, 

 there are others which only apply to sepa- 

 rate families, such as the Noisettes, Climb- 

 ers, «!t"c., which we shall notice more par- 

 ticularly at some olher time, and now pro- 

 ceed to the points of cultivating Roses, 

 most requisite to success. The first con- 

 sideration, is the 



PROPER SOIL. 



A strong rich loam is the proper soil for 

 the Rose, to which it is as well to add well 



with loose roots, examine these, and cut 

 away, with a sharp knife, cvcnj bruised por- 

 tion, leaving all the ends smooth and clean. 

 If any root is growing directly downward, 

 cut it off; the plant is better without it. 

 This preparation made, and the holes dug 

 large enough to take in the root without 

 cramping it, loosen the soil in the bottom of 

 the hole. Should the plant be too large to 

 manage alone, let an assistant hold it for 

 you, then throw in the soil between the roots, 

 move the stem from side to side, and pull 



decomposed leaf mould, or well rotted stable up^^ards a little ; by this means all the roots 

 manure. In a soil thus prepared, the plants | ^^ji, ^e well covered, and no vacant spaces 



left between them. If rightly done, the top 

 of the root must be near the top of the ground ; 

 none of the stem must be buried, and when 

 trodden down, the plant must be steady and 

 firm. If you have to manage the planting 

 alone, lay hold of the stem just above the 

 root, and fill in the soil with the other hand, 

 proceeding in other respects as above di- 

 rected. With standard or tree Roses, you 

 should drive stakes firmly into the ground, 

 and fasten the stems to them, thus guard- 

 ing against the effects of the wind, and se- 

 curing the roots from disturbance or break- 

 ing. A very handsome group of standards 

 might be thus formed: six feet plants in 

 the middle, four feet six inches in the next 

 row, three feet ones next the front, and 

 eighteen inch plants outside ; these, if at 

 proper distances, and of picked s»rts assimi- 

 lating in habit of growth, will form a splen- 

 did bank of Roses in the proper season. In 

 planting a clump of Roses, remember they 

 should all flower about the same time or sea- 

 son, if not, they never can or will look well. 



will grow vigorously and bloom finely, but 

 we are not always able to command such, 

 and very often must make the best of what 

 we have. In a poor soil, the Rose will 

 not give any satisfaction, and not unfre- 

 quently shows only semi-double or single 

 flowers; indeed many good Roses have been 

 condemned, solely because grown in a soil 

 altogether unsuited to them. The import- 

 ance then of having a very rich soil cannot 

 be too strongly enforced upon the minds of 

 all who wish to be successful in cultivating 

 these splendid flowers, in fact it would be 

 difficult to make the ground too rich. If, 

 therefore, the amateur has not the soil re- 

 quired, he must change the nature of what 

 he has, by means of loam, or manure, or 

 both. If he does not attend particularly to 

 this direction, he cannot expect to be suc- 

 cessful in obtaining either vigorous growth, 

 or fine blooms. 



PLANTING. 



Next to the soil in importance, is the 

 planting. If received in pots, turn out the 

 plants, remove the crocks from the bottom 



of the ball, loosen the soil a little by mod- i The planting of Roses on their own roots, 



erate pressure, and place in the hole no 

 deeper than even with the general surface ; 

 fill in with the soil removed, and tread it 

 down firmly. If your plants are received 



whether fcr dwarfs or climbers, differs in 

 no wise from any other planting, except as 

 to situation, requiring more protection from 

 the wind. Whatever they have to support 



