264 Landscape Gardening 



of all yellow roses, the double Persian Yellow, and half a 

 dozen of the gems among the hybrid roses, such as Chenedole, 

 George the Fourth, Village Maid, Great Western, Fulgetis, 

 Blanchefleur; we should try, at least, to make room for 

 these also. 



If we were to have but three roses, for our own personal 

 gratification, they would be - 



Souvenir de Malmaison, 

 Old Red Moss, 

 Gen. Dubourg. 



The latter is a Bourbon rose, which, because it is an old 

 variety, and not very double, has gone out of fashion. We, 

 however, shall cultivate it as long as we enjoy the blessing 

 of olfactory nerves; for it gives us, all the season, an abun- 

 dance of flowers, with the most perfect rose scent that we 

 have ever yet found; in fact, the true attar of Rose. 



There are few secrets in the cultivation of the rose in this 

 climate. First of all, make the soil deep; and, if the sub- 

 soil is not quite dry, let it be well drained. Then remember, 

 that what the rose delights to grow in is loam and rotten 

 manure. Enrich your soil, therefore, with well-decomposed 

 stable manure; and if it is too sandy, mix fresh loam from 

 an old pasture field; if it is too clayey, mix river or pit sand 

 with it. The most perfect specific stimulus that we have 

 ever tried in the culture of the rose, is what Mr. Rivers 

 calls roasted turf, which is easily made by paring sods from 

 the lane sides, and half charring them. It acts like magic 

 upon the little spongioles of the rose; making new buds and 

 fine fresh foliage start out very speedily, and then a succes- 

 sion of superb and richly colored flowers. We recommend it, 

 especially, to all those who cultivate roses in old gardens, 

 where the soil is more or less worn out. 



And now, like the Persians, with the hope that our fair 

 readers "may sleep upon roses, and the dew that falls may 

 turn into rose-water," we must end this rather prolix chapter 

 upon roses. 



