IV PLANTING 65 
or vegetable, probably mostly the latter, and as a rule 
we may judge of the amount of humus in a soil by 
its colour: the darker it is the more humus would 
generally be present. Thus, peat, leaf-mould, or 
manure that has become mould, would be almost 
entirely humus, and lacking in the mineral require- 
ments of plants: while light-coloured sand, gravel, 
chalk, or light-grey boulder clay would be almost 
wholly mineral, and wanting in organic matter. In 
such a soil, Roses might be grown well for a time, 
but sooner or later the defect would be seriously felt, 
and no liquid or artificial manure would atone for it. 
Now, the upper portion of most garden or pasture 
soils has generally sufficient humus, afforded in the 
one case by manure at different times, and in the 
other by the gradual decay in course of years of the 
roots and leaves of the plants of the pasture. But, 
if light-coloured soil of any sort, or even loam taken 
from anywhere more than a foot below the surface, 
be imported, it will be too ‘‘raw,” and well-rotted 
manure in large quantities should be thoroughly 
mixed with it. But it must be well rotted, for I am 
strongly of opinion that a great many newly planted 
Roses fail to thrive because too fresh manure is 
placed close to the roots. This error, and that of 
planting too deeply, are the commonest faults in 
planting Roses. 
For these reasons I recommend strong rich dark 
fresh soil in preference to the addition of solid 
manure, and that if any be used it be placed under- 
neath, where it may be used before it has lost its 
strength. 
It must be borne in mind that shallow planting is 
of no use without cultivation, which is done by the 
F 
