THE ROSE requires high culture. This belle of 

 the parterre, this " queen of flowers," is a lover of rich fare, 

 and refuses to put forth all her beauties on a meagre diet. 

 Roses, indeed, will grow and bloom in .any soil; but defi- 

 cient nourishment will reduce the size of the flowers, and 

 impair the perfection of their form. Of all soils, one of a 

 sandy or gravelly nature is the worst ; while, on the other 

 hand, a wet and dense clay is scarcely better. A rich, 

 strong, and somewhat heavy garden loam, abundantly 

 manured, is the soil best adapted to all the strong-growing 

 roses; while those of more delicate growth prefer one pro- 

 portion ably lighter. 



Yet roses may be grown to perfection in any soil, if the 



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