86 PARSONS ON THE ROSE. 



CHAPTER IV. 



SOIL, SITUATION, AND PLANTING. 



The most suitable soil is a strong, rich loam, or vegeta- 

 ble mould mixed with about one-quarter its bulk of well- 

 decomposed stable manure. If the soil of the garden 

 where the roses are to be planted differs materially from 

 this, it should be made to approach it as nearly as possible 

 by the addition of the requisite soil and manure. In a 

 good vegetable garden, the soil, wdth the addition of a 

 little manure, wnll grow the Rose well. When the soil, 

 however, is of an inferior character, holes should be dug 

 three or four times the size of the roots of a well-grown 

 rose bush and filled Avith compost of the above character. 



Rivers recommends, as the best compost for roses, rot- 

 ten dung and pit-sand for cold, clayey soils ; and for warm, 

 dry soils, rotten dung and cool loams. He also states 

 that he has found night soil, mixed with the drainings of 

 the dunghill, or even with common ditch or pond water, 

 60 as to make a thick liquid, the best possible manure for 

 roses, poured on the surface of the soil twice in winter — 

 one to two gallons to each tree. The soil need not be 

 stirred until spring, and then merely loosened two or three 

 inches deep, with the prongs of a fork ; for poor soil, and 

 on lawns, previously removing the turf, this will be found 

 most eflficacious. He directs this compost to be applied 

 in the first two winter months, but as our ground is fre- 

 quently frozen so hard then that it cannot absorb the 

 liquid, it would probably be best to apply it in this coun- 

 try a month earlier. Where a bed or border of roses is 

 to be planted, it is w^ell to dig out the soil to the depth 

 of two or two and a half feet ; fill the bottom to the depth 



