THIRD WEEK IN AUGUST 



singly. They will be safer, however, in their pots during 

 the following winter than if planted out in the autumn, 

 unless they are covered with a bell-glass, raised, however, 

 except during the coldest weather, a few inches from 

 the soil on bricks, so as to admit air. In cold districts 

 Romneyas are often cut to the ground in winter ; this is, 

 however, much to be avoided, for they make much finer 

 growth when their branches come through the ordeal of 

 our winter climate unscathed. Pruning is therefore more 

 safely done in April, cutting away at that time such 

 branches as have been injured by the winter cold. 



A very dry season is extremely trying to our gardens, 

 especially to the roses, which suffer much from blight in 

 such a summer. Mulching them with any moist rich 

 material (such as half-decayed leaves, hot-bed stuff, decayed 

 manure, and loam) is the best remedy ; laying this down to 

 the distance of 2 feet from the stem in order to protect and 

 feed the principal roots, which always lie at the points of 

 the rest, and are not at all aided by piling manure over the 

 collar of a rose, which is too often the mistaken plan of the 

 ordinary gardener. Before mulching any plant in need of 

 help the soil should be drawn back to the depth of about 

 3 inches around it, then saturating the roots thoroughly 

 with tepid water, after which the mulch (first made quite 

 moist) may be laid down in place of the removed soil, and 

 the whole covered with a little sifted soil, when no more 

 water will be needed for some few weeks, even in a severe 

 drought. Watering without mulching too often results in 

 a sort of hard, baked crust being formed on the surface, 

 which effectually keeps out the heavy dews and also prevents 

 the moisture below being raised, as it otherwise would be 

 (/'.*., if the surface soil be kept loose and open), through 

 capillary attraction. Water spears (or pieces of bamboo 

 2 inches across and about 6 inches in length) are most 

 useful contrivances to convey water to the roots of a plant, 

 especially on a bank, where it is almost impossible to supply 

 moisture to a shrub in any other way. 



This is an excellent time in which to propagate pinks and 



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