18 SOILS AND THKIR PREPARATION. 



of cultivation and treatment of soils and plants. My 

 observations have taught me that a good supply of 

 water is as important to the Rose as good soil. In a 

 dry season the Dutch hoe is not going to compete with 

 your neighbour's watering can, nor a sandy soil with a 

 rich loam. Moisture is everything to the Rose. Where 

 it exists in the soil every effort must be made to con- 

 serve it, and where it is lacking it must be supplied. 



To the lover of the Rose no trouble is too great to 

 ensure that our Rose-beds are exactly what the Rose 

 requires. So much depends upon what you have got 

 or can get before giving advice. There is no need to 

 be extravagant or expensive in one's ideas, for the 

 Rose is as much the poor man's flower as it is the rich 

 man's, and a little thought and prudence will save 

 much unnecessary labour and expense. If you have a 

 garden ready made with a good depth of soil of a nice 

 greasy, retentive loam you have got all that you re- 

 quire for the Rose. Manures, natural and artificial, in 

 season will do the rest. Granted that every soil can be 

 improved or altered a little so as to suit all classes or 

 variety of Roses ; yet when you have that which will 

 do, to go to additional labour and expense is not unlike 

 the cook who uses six eggs in a cake where two are 

 sufficient, or vintage port in a trifle when the ordinary 

 wine is good enough. 



Without going into a soil analysis which is not 

 necessary, you will find, no matter what your subsoil, 

 that you can grow Roses. If not made, mark out your 

 beds, and let us start at once. Remember always one 

 great point — a well-made Rose-bed is to last for years, 

 and it is worth while digging and excavating to do the 

 work properly. When making my own Rose garden, 

 all the small beds were emptied of soil to the depth of 

 three feet, the bottom of the bed picked over, rough 

 stone and broken brick was then thrown in to a depth 

 of six inches, upon this came a heavy coating of manure 

 to about five inches, then the roughest of the soil was 

 put back to the depth of one foot, and then the last 



