SOIL 



ROSES can be grown in a great variety of soils, and 

 there are few soils which, if properly prepared, cannot 

 be made to grow at any rate some kind of Rose in health 

 and vigour. On the whole it is difficult to improve on 

 the statement of that excellent Rose grower, John 

 Cranston, of Hereford, that the best soil for Roses in 

 general is that which contains the greatest proportion of 

 loam, a deep stiff loam being what they most delight in. 

 The worst of all is the black porous soil usually met 

 with in town gardens, which contains a superabundance 

 of humus or decomposed organic matter. Here the Rose 

 will rarely thrive without the admixture of stiff loam or 

 even clay. Sharp gravelly and light sandy soils are also 

 bad for Roses. In many localities and especially by the 

 seaside, where the latter usually prevail, it is often a 

 difficult matter to grow any but the most robust and 

 free-growing sorts. Rich peat soils are not at all 

 unfavourable, and good Roses may be grown in boggy 

 soils, provided they are thoroughly drained. There is, 

 however, no description of soil to equal a good deep 

 rich loam, rather retentive than otherwise, having some- 

 what of a greasy tendency ; and if such is well drained 

 there will be little or no difficulty in growing the most 

 choice and delicate Roses. As, however, all cannot 

 possibly possess these advantages, we must suit our 

 Roses to our soil, and our soil to the Roses as best we 

 can, and so happy and ready is the Rose to yield to our 

 will and to become attached to our soil and locality that 

 little difficulty will be experienced in improving what 



