i 4 THE BOOK OF ROSES 



a strong man in perfect health and full hard work ; why 

 then should a weakly plant be treated on a different 

 system ? 



The best time of the year for using liquid manure is 

 the early Summer, May and June, if possible after rain. 

 If given earlier in the year great care must be taken not 

 to injure the young and tender leaves, no manure being 

 allowed to fall on the plants themselves. If the soil 

 itself is good and solid manures are being used it is not 

 advisable to give more liquid manures than these given 

 in the Spring; after July liquid manuring should be 

 given up, or the plants may be encouraged to grow 

 more wood than can be properly ripened by the 

 Winter. Winter manuring is often good, and may 

 then be given stronger and more concentrated than 

 in the Summer. 



The manure should be put on by watering-pot, hose, 

 or pail, the essential being that it should soak in quickly. 

 It must not be allowed to run off, so that it will often be 

 found necessary to put on a little at a time, coming back 

 again and again, to ensure that all the liquid has been 

 absorbed. " Two good rules for watering with liquid 

 manure or plain water are firstly, mind it is done 

 thoroughly : be sure you give a good soaking while you 

 are about it ; remember * an inch of rain ' means nearly 

 five gallons to the square yard, and always do a little 

 space satisfactorily and fully rather than a mere wetting 

 over a large extent. 



" And secondly, be sure that the surface is always 

 stirred with the hoe as soon as possible after every 

 soaking, whether it be the natural one of rain or the 

 artificial one of water or manure. This is most impor- 

 tant : when the sun shines on the thoroughly soaked 

 ground in summer it is sure to cause it to crack, often 

 before the top is quite dry ; as soon as you can work it, 

 get just the surface dry again and as fine and powdery 



