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that we were sorely puzzled how to express our feelings. 
We wished to be kind and wished to be truthful, and the 
result was a dubious compliment of that it was a pretty 
place for ferns, and therefore our commentary was re- 
ceived with an expressive smile of genteel disgust, as 
though we suggested the plot in question was the sight 
of all others for a jail. Then without further prevarica- 
tion we told the truth. And the truth is, that this 
boundless contiguity of shade is fatal, and every over- 
hanging tree is fatal as an upas-tree to the Rose. The 
Rose in close proximity to a forest tree can never hope 
to thrive. In a two-fold sense it takes umbrage ; robbed 
above and robbed below, robbed by branches of sunshine 
and by roots of soil, it sickens, droops, and dies. In con- 
nection with a choice of location, we must see that Roses 
are provided with a proper soil. They will do well in 
any ordinary garden soil that is free from standing water 
and well drained. When there is too much clay, the soil 
can be made sufficiently friable by the application of 
wood and coal ashes, lime, burnt earth, etc. When, on 
the other hand, a soil is sandy or too light, we need to 
bring clay, muck, leaf mould, ete., to obtain sufficient 
body. This soil must, of course, be thoroughly manured 
and worked ; frequent spading will do a great deal toward 
lessening the stiffness of a heavy soil. Most of the North- 
ern as well as English writers on the Rose give especial 
instructions as to drainage and the disadvantages of a 
wet soil. With us in the South this requires no consid- 
eration; we have but little rain through the Summer, 
and for the greater portion of the year our soil is more 
often too dry than too wet. Therefore as our Winters 
are very short and the growing season of the Rose a very 
long one, we would advise the selection of a moderately 
low lying situation that will not quickly dry out during 
