DESCRIPTIVE LIST OF FLOWERING SHRUBS. 445 



nuring. In a poor, lean, shallow soil, it is impossible to 

 bring out the beauties of any variety of the Rose. A 

 strong, rich loam, or vegetable mould, with about one 

 quarter of its bulk of well decomposed stable manure, is 

 recommended by Parsons as a standard for the quality 

 of the soil in which to grow the Hose ; and if the soil of 

 the garden, where the Rose is to be planted, differs ma- 

 terially from this, the requisite materials should be added, 

 that it may approach as near as possible to that standard. 

 In my own experience, I have found that the more ma- 

 nure, if not an extravagant quantity, the better the bloom ; 

 but, in addition to the quality and richness of the soil, a 

 good depth is absolutely necessary. My general practice 

 is to plant out Roses in beds, which, for all the hardy 

 Roses, I prefer to do in November. First, the ground 

 should be trenched two spades deep, and a liberal supply 

 of stable, barnyard, or night-soil manure, with bone-dust 

 incorporated with it, as the digging proceeds, but not 

 buried too deep. I have not been very particuliar as to the 

 quantity or quality of the manure. After the ground is 

 settled, the Roses may be planted. Four feet each way 

 is about the proper distance to plant the different varieties 

 of Roses, in the rosary. 



Rivers recommends, as the best compost for Roses, rot- 

 ten dung and pit sand for cold, clayey soils ; and for warm, 

 dry soils, rotten dung and cool loams. lie finds that 

 night-soil, mixed with the drainings of .the dunghill, or 

 even with common ditch or pond water, so as to make a 

 thick liquid, the best possible manure for Roses, poured on 

 the surface of soil twice in the winter, one or two gallons to 

 each tree. In our climate, it may be applied in Novem- 

 ber and in April. In my beds of established Roses, I 

 cause manure from the stable to be applied to the surface 

 of the ground about the bushes, in November, which 

 serves as a protection ; some of the tender sorts are fast- 



