20 THE BOOK OF ROSES 



the plants flat down in it, watering them well, and then 

 covering them completely with soil. They may be left 

 for a day or two covered in, when the bark will be 

 found to have swelled to its usual healthy condition. 



The unpacking must be carefully done, as it is very 

 easy to injure shoots or roots during the process. 

 Should, however, any parts of the plant be found to be 

 injured or badly bruised they should be cut off with a 

 sharp knife. The roots must never be allowed to dry, 

 and to ensure this only so many should be unpacked as 

 are to be planted at a time. For the actual planting the 

 beds should be prepared and the position of the Roses 

 marked with small stakes. Then holes should be dug ; 

 in the case of dwarf bushes deep enough for the junction 

 of the stock and the scion to be finally about an inch 

 underground, in that of standards about 6 inches deep. 

 The hole should be a foot square. The Roses should 

 then be placed at the side of the bed, their roots care- 

 fully covered by a mat from sun and wind. The plant 

 selected should be sprinkled with water, taken in the 

 left hand and held upright in the middle of the hole, 

 the roots being spread out very carefully with the other 

 hand. The placing of the rootlets on the bottom of the 

 hole seems a little and an unimportant thing, but it is 

 astonishing what a difference it can make to the growth 

 and health of the plant. These little rootlets should be 

 disposed as evenly as possible, as far as may be without 

 crossing, so that each has a fair space of soil to itself. 

 Over the rootlets, when they are arranged, a sprinkling 

 of the finest sifted soil should be laid, so that they are 

 just covered and held in place, and on this is placed a 

 layer of soil 3 inches deep, which must be firmly 

 trodden in, care being taken not to bruise the roots. 

 The hole is then filled in and again well trodden in. 

 The importance of firm planting in the case of Roses 

 cannot be over-emphasised, but in practice it is sometimes 



