14 HOW TO GROW ROSES 



Preparing to Grow Roses 



Having chosen the location and decided upon the size 

 and shape of your beds, you are next ready to prepare the soil. 

 Rev. F. Page Roberts, an ex-president of the National 

 Rose Society of England, has said: "After years of rose-grow- 

 ing in places far apart, I think it is not so much the soil and 

 the climate, as the care and skill of the cultivator that wins 

 success." 



A very successful grower of roses in New York State once 

 remarked to a meeting of his rose society: "I would rather 

 plant a 15-cent rose in a 5O-cent hole than plant a 5O-cent 

 rose in a 15-cent hole." He was wise. The author recalls 

 visiting a successful private rose-garden in New England one 

 day when the roses in one bed were being moved. Those 

 roses had well-developed roots 3 feet long, because the 

 bed in which they were growing had been prepared to that 

 depth, and the top-growth and bloom had been luxuriantly 

 magnificent, testifying to the value of deep and thorough 

 soil-preparation. 



Drainage 



One thing, however, must be provided, if you are to court 

 success, that is ample drainage. "Wet feet" for roses are no 

 more conducive to health and happiness than for children. 

 Examine your soil; if there seems a need, provide drainage, 

 and remove the soil from your bed to the very bottom. Place 

 there a layer from 4 to 6 inches deep of stones not larger than 

 your fist, broken bricks, clinkers, or other suitable material 



that will readily "take" 

 the water from above. 

 The soil is seldom so 



tiling to 6 t^ke \V ""water 

 away and, indeed, nine 

 times out of ten no arti- 

 . ficial drainage at all will 



Layers or stones like this are not essential T A A 



if the ground is naturally well drained ke needed. 



