82 THE BOOK OF THE ROSE CHAP. 
absorption, rather than solid manure in the soil which 
may or may not have all the materials ready in a 
soluble state. 
3. To obtain fine fruit, from an apple, pear, or 
peach-tree, for instance, every gardener knows that 
manure is wanted when the fruit is set and begin- 
ning to swell: that earlier it may induce too much 
wood: and that a tree which has no fruit is best 
without manure, as the extra nourishment is more 
likely to produce wood than fruit buds. Roses do 
not form quite an analogous case: for in most cases 
manure given early will not hinder the flowering, 
and a certain length and strength of stem are 
necessary for a good bud, but occasionally it might 
cause the wood to be longer than necessary and the 
bloom to be delayed. At all events it is when once 
the tiny bud is formed that the Rose most needs 
support; all the powers of roots and leaves are at 
that time devoted to the Rose itself, and then is the 
special opportunity for feeding with a lavish hand. 
Do not be afraid of making your Roses “ coarse”’ ; 
we can always find room for superfluous energy by 
less rigorous pruning in spring, or later by judicious 
caution or delay in disbudding. 
The ordinary liquid manure which I should recom- 
mend would be the drainings after rain from cow- 
yard or pigstye or both, but not from the stable, 
which is often, from being less diluted, too strong. 
Free access to a tank containing the drainings and 
storm-washings of a cow or bullock yard is well 
worth paying for by any Rosarian. Unless obviously: 
very weak, it should always be diluted; too weak 
can do no harm, but too strong may. Without 
appearing to hurt the strong roots, it may injure the 
