14 CULTURE OF THE ROSE. 



needful pains are taken. We will suppose an extreme 

 case: The grower wishes to plant a bed of roses on a 

 spot where the soil is very poor and sandy. Let him mark 

 out his bed, dig the soil to the depth of eighteen inches, 

 throw out the worst portion of it, and substitute in its 

 place a quantity of strong, heavy loam : rotted sods, if 

 they can be had, will be an excellent addition ; and so, 

 also, will decayed leaves. Then add a liberal dressing of 

 old stable manure : that taken from a last year's hot-bed 

 will do admirably. It is scarcely possible to enrich too 

 highly. One-fourth manure to three-fourths soil is not an 

 excessive proportion. Now incorporate the whole thor- 

 oughly with a spade, level the top, and your bed is ready. 

 Again : we will suppose a case, equally bad, but of the 

 opposite character. Here the soil is very wet, cold, and 

 heavy. The first step is to drain it. This may be done 

 thoroughly with tiles, after the approved methods ; or, if 

 this is too troublesome or expensive, simpler means may 

 be used, which will, in most situations, prove as effectual 

 Dig a hole about five feet deep and four feet wide at the 

 lower side of your intended bed of roses: in this hole 

 place an inverted barrel, with the head knocked out ; or, 

 what is better, an old oil cask. In the latter case, a hole 

 should be bored in it, near the top, to permit the air to 



