300 



The HfMiculU(jrisl and Jonrnal 



very little preparation beyond the usual trench- 

 ing and manuring. It must be understood, 

 however, that if the soil is wet, draining will 

 be necessary, for it is useless and wasteful to 

 put manure on wet soil. In all such cases, 

 then, the first effort must be to drain the soil. 

 Thorough draining airs the ground to what- 

 ever depth it drains off the water ; therefore 

 it is best to drain deep. Water occupies a 

 large portion of the texture of what we cJlli 

 solid earth. When we draw the water from 

 the soil by drains, the space thus occupied by 

 the water in the earth is supplied by air. The 

 air transmits heat and cold less rapidly than 

 water. Deep drainage therefore tends to 

 equalize the temperature of the soil, and to 

 neutralize the effect of great and sudden 

 changes in the temperature of the earth's sur- 

 face. It is impossible to underdrain a wet 

 subsoil too thoroughly, as the earth has the 

 power to draw up from below all the moisture 

 that is needed to sustain vegetable life ; and 

 in addition it also has the power to absorb a 

 vast quantity of moisture from the air in its 

 passage through the soil. 



Next in importance to drainage, therefore, 

 is deep trenching. It supplements drainage 

 by often and repeated exposure of a certain 

 depth of soil to the action of the sun and air, 

 by which its oxygenation is carried on more 

 rapidly than it otherwise would be when not 

 so exposed. 



The worst of all soils for roses are those of 

 a light, dry, sandy or gravelly nature. In 

 such soils roses often suffer from the dry 

 weather in the hot summer months, and are 

 liable to the attacks of the red spider, one of 

 the worst enemies the rose has to contend 

 against, and which is not easily kept under 

 subjection in hot, dry seasons. 



Poor soils of this kind or that of old worn- 

 out gardens are sometimes beyond remedy. 

 In such cases the best plan is to move the 

 soil at once, and replace it with good turfy 

 loam from an old pasture or corn-field. Soil 

 that will grow good corn will grow good roses. 

 If rather stiff the better. In fact strong loam 

 andplenty of well-rotted manure, are really all 

 that are necessary for the cultivation of roses. 



The hardy kinds of roses are not so par- 

 ticular as regards locality, providing they 

 have an open, airy situation, and far enough 

 from trees of all descriptions that the roots of 

 the latter cannot reach the soil of the rose 

 beds, for it must be understood that roses 

 want all the nourishment the soil can give 

 them, and that they are not willing to share 

 with others that which they require for their 

 own sustenance. 



riaHtiitfj Under this head, I will take 



occasion to say, that the planting of roses as 

 isolated specimens on a lawn, is in my opinion 

 almost always a mistake, in fact an error in 

 good taste. There are few, if any, that ever 

 form under such treatment, an object suffi- 

 ciently well foliagcd to be pleasing, or even 

 an object of interest when not in bloom. 



In the suburbs of all our cities we see a 

 certain number of gardens and lawns made 

 hideous with starving rose bushes that have 

 neither shape nor make at any time ; that 

 are leafless and scraggy half the year, and 

 during the other half show a few unhealthy 

 leaves, with an occasional flower that are 

 scarcely equal in form and beauty to those 

 imitation roses that are sometimes cut out of 

 a turnip or red radish, and used for the adorn- 

 ment of the Christmas tree. 



Then the first step towards securing a nice 

 show of roses is to select the most sunny and 

 airy spot the garden affords ; and generally 

 the most favorable spot is somewhere on the 

 lawn. It should, however, be borne in mind 

 that tlie location thus selected should not be 

 the most conspicuous spot as seen from the 

 principal windows of the dwelling, where their 

 appearance in winter from their being leafless, 

 and the necessary covering and protection, 

 would be decidedly objectionable ; but where 

 in summer, when all is bright and lovely, a 

 walk to the rose beds would afford a pleasant 

 recreation before breakfast. And here let 

 me say that, if you would see roses in all 

 their freshness and beauty, you should see 

 their half expanded buds with the glistening 

 dew on their surface. A pleasure felt, but 

 not easily described. 



Arranf/ciHcnf of Beds. — The location 



