CHAP. XI VILLA GARDENING 61 



must pass rapidly away. The best results can only be obtained 

 by a deep soil ; not less than 2 feet will suffice, and if deeper it 

 will be better. To improve a cold clay soil, after the drains have 

 been put in 3| feet deep, collect together some of the clods of clay 

 when dry and burn them, spreading the ashes to the depth of 6 

 inches over the beds intended for Roses, and trench the land over, 

 mixing all together, adding manure as liberally as necessary or 

 convenient — and it is not easy in this respect to overdo it. For 

 autumn planting the preparation of the ground should take place 

 ill August, to give time for it to settle, and for the sunshine 

 and the atmosphere to work upon its siu'face to pulverise and 

 sweeten it. For planting in spring on cold land, the burning 

 may be done in August and September, the trenching immedi- 

 ately after, when the storms and frosts of winter have worked 

 upon it. 



Pkmtmg may take place early in March. When Roses are 

 planted in March the pruning should be delayed till the buds are 

 bursting, then cut hard back — that is to say, cut within two, or, 

 in the case of the strongest shoots, three eyes of the base. I have 

 seen Roses planted in the first week of March do remarkably well, 

 especially when the land has had a thorough winter's preparation. 

 But if I were going to plant a Rosery in spring, I should, if 

 possible, buy the plants not later than November, have them 

 home at once, shorten their roots a little, and lay them in by the 

 heels in a slanting position in a dry border. Not only should I 

 get the pick of the plants in the nursery, and probably secure 

 them of stronger, healthier habit, but I should expect them to 

 gain some advantage from having their wounded roots healed over, 

 and they would also have made some new roots, or the latent 

 rootlets would be ready to start, and the plants would be in a far 

 better condition for commencing a new life than if only just lifted. 

 If standard Roses are planted, the stems must be supported by 

 stakes immediately, and the surface round the stems should be 

 mulched with manure. If Roses are grown on the bed system, a 

 better effect may be obtained by jjlanting standards and dwarfs 

 alternately, finishing off with a row of dwarfs round the outside. 

 In this way we get the beds elevated without any exposiu-e of 

 naked stems. 



Dwarf Roses. — Some people adopt what is termed the pegging- 

 down system, which means that all the strong shoots, instead 

 of being pruned back, are bent over, and the end layered into 

 an open space. In the course of time most of these layered shoots 

 form roots and become independent plants. The very first garden 

 I worked in many years ago had several large beds of dwarf 



