II SITUATION AND SOIL 45 
improving at the same time the consistence and 
fertility of real solid clay. 
Roses in a clay soil make long strong roots, but 
not many of them. It will be advisable therefore in 
such places to put in plants from a lighter soil, 
whether Roses or stocks, which would have a larger 
number of roots of a more fibrous nature though not 
so large; and it would be very desirable to have a 
little lighter soil—lighter in weight, but darker in 
colour—leaf mould or the top soil of an old garden 
—to put in immediate contact with the roots. 
Still, if the clay land be really good and well drained, 
it will often repay all labour spent on it, especially 
in a hot and early summer; for the Dog-Rose does 
like heavy soil, and with a well-cultivated surface 
above to prevent cracking on the one hand or too 
ereat consolidation on the other, and with plenty of 
moisture in the cool tenacious though well-drained 
substance below, most of the H.P. Roses may be 
expected to come to full perfection on this stock. 
Losam.—lIf there was a choice, I should select 
rather the best loam with a tendency to clay, what 
a farmer would call ‘‘ strong” land. There is very 
ereat difference in the value and fertility of what in 
auctioneer’s phrase would be ‘‘ good mixed soil” ; 
and I can only repeat that the best guide on this 
matter is local knowledge and the rent that has been 
paid in past years. The soil ought to be equally 
good for quite two feet in depth, with effective 
natural or artificial drainage as a sine qua non. By 
natural drainage, I mean a sub-soil of gravel, stones, 
sand or chalk; and for artificial nothing less than 
actual pipes should be used, laid by a competent 
