46 PLANTING. 



failure, hesitate to undertake what often is thought to 

 be but an interesting experiment. Rose books up to 

 the present have not handled this delicate subject with 

 anything like the thoroughness it demands, and there 

 is ample room for fresh literary efforts in this direc- 

 tion. Scarcely has February come in when, as is 

 reasonable and proper, the planting of Rose trees 

 wanes, and in a matter of days ceases altogether. The 

 construction of gardens desired is left to another year, 

 and varieties required, but thought of long after our 

 planting was completed, are not ordered, owing to the 

 fact that we fear to court disaster. Experience by 

 way of numerous experiments alone can furnish us 

 'vvith the information we seek before we can bring our- 

 selves to not only part with good money, but also risk 

 our reputation as a gardener. 



Indeed, in these days, when Roses are so cheap, I 

 think the latter consideration is, to the majority, the 

 one cause why Roses we love or would prove are not 

 planted. For my part, I have always held to the old 

 motto, ** Faint heart never won fair lady," and I have 

 willingly courted failure on the chance of success. It 

 was in April, 191 5, that, at the very end of the month, 

 after a visit to the National Rose Society's Spring 

 Show at the R.H.S., I was seized with the desire to 

 plant a small bed with Hybrid Tea Roses. Almost 

 laughingly I broached the subject to Mr. Prior, of 

 Colchester, who promised, if I would take all the risk, 

 to send me some trees, provided, also, I left the selec- 

 tion of varieties to him. This we agreed, and on 

 May I St *' my trees " arrived by parcel post nicely 

 packed in damp moss, and already pruned and ready 

 for planting, which operation was carried out the same 

 morning. By the end of July I was gathering Roses 

 from all the trees with the exception of one, which, 

 although it made a desperate effort to live, succumbed 

 before June was well in. 



At least two of the Roses I picked were exhibition 

 blooms, which will testify to the robustness of the trees 

 after so short a period of rest. That which I have 

 narrated sounds very much like one of the miracles of 



