PLANTING. 43 



soil \\ ill keep tlicni in position until covered. Planting- 

 is always clone better with someone else to help, if only 

 to hold the tree in position whilst the roots are arrang^ed 

 and the soil is filled in. After you have covered the 

 roots with the first spadeful lift the tree slightly by 

 its branches and jar it gently up and down, to let the 

 soil filter round the roots and distribute itself amongst 

 the small fibrous roots. Add a little more soil, and 

 then firm down with your foot all round, and 

 fill in u'ith the rest of the soil, and the plant- 

 ing is accomplished. A good thick pair of 

 leather garden gloves will save your hands in 

 this operation, but few gardeners will use them. 

 However, they are a real help, and if much planting- 

 has to be undertaken I strongly advise their use, for 

 you can grip the tree more firmly in raising it up and 

 down, instead of putting all the force on to one branch. 

 In the case of standards, dig the hole as before, and 

 then dri^'e in your stake in the centre of the hole, and 

 plant it in exactly the same way as already described. 

 Remember this : never place fresh manure in contact 

 with the roots of any Rose tree, for it is most harmful; 

 bury it beneath or at the side of the tree. One of the 

 most debatable points in planting is the distance that 

 one tree should be from another. This depends largely 

 upon the variety, its growth, and its habit, as also upon 

 the pruning. 



Here the judgment of the grower comes in, for 

 in laying out his garden he has got to consider the equal 

 distribution of bloom throughout the year and the 

 arrangement of his beds. 



First let me lay down the law that Rose-beds 

 should contain only Rose trees ; secondly, that they 

 should be planted as thick as thieves; and, thirdly, 

 that they should be subject to general effect ; that is to 

 say, that, as far as possible, they all be made " to toe 

 the line," and conform more or less to the usual prun- 

 ing meted out by exhibitors. If Roses only are grown 

 in a bed, the trees can be planted closer than if other 

 small flowers are used to carpet the soil. Roses are 

 gross feeders, and if you are going to limit their space 



