98 THE PERPETUAL DAMASK ROSE. 



result of my experience as to their cultivation, with 

 suggestions to be acted upon according to cir- 

 cumstances. One peculiar featui'e they nearly all 

 possess — a reluctance to root when layered ; con- 

 sequently, Perpetual Damask Eoses, on their own 

 roots, will always l)e scarce : when it is possible 

 to procure them, they will be found to flourish 

 much better on dry poor soils than when budded, 

 as at present. These roses require a superabun- 

 dant quantity of food : it is therefore perfectly 

 ridiculous to plant them on dry lawns, to suffer 

 the grass to grow close up to their stems, and 

 not to give them a particle of manure for years. 

 Under these circumstances, the best varieties, 

 even the Rose du Eoi, will scarcely ever give a 

 second series of flowers. To remedy the inimical 

 nature of dry soils to this class of roses, an annual 

 application of manure on the surface of the soil is 

 quite necessary. The ground must not be dug, 

 but lightly pricked over with a fork in November ; 

 after which, some manure must be laid on, about 

 two or three inches in depth, which ought not to 

 be disturbed, except to clean with the hoe and 

 rake, till the following autumn. This, in some 

 situations, in the spring months, will be unsightly: 

 in such cases, cover with some nice green moss, 

 as directed in the culture of Hybrid China Roses. 

 I have said that this treatment is applicable to 

 dry poor soils ; but even in good rose soils it is 

 almost necessary ; for it will give such increased 



