CULTURAL HINTS 149 



Baroness Rothschild, come with single buds, but the majority 

 will be found to have tliree or four crowded together. The 

 amateur whose object is to grow roses solely for their 

 decorative effect in the garden will not require, of course, to 

 be so drastic in his methods. But, even in his case, disbudding 

 on a moderate scale will result in the production of larger and 

 "better blooms, and it will also be for the ultimate welfare of the 

 plant. 



' The rose, as I have already indicated, is a gross feeder, and it 

 requires some amount of artificial stimulus if it is to be grown to 

 perfection. If the surface of the soil were top-dressed during the 

 autumn, or immediately after planting in November in the case 

 of newly-purchased trees, little further in this direction will have 

 been necessary up to the end of May. 



Where there are plenty of buds the roots will by that time 

 be making great demands on the soil, and these can best be met 

 by the application of liquid manure once ^ week or even a little 

 oftener. In the case oTsTrong anTTelsliaTDlished plants the solution 

 may be fairly strong, but liquid manure supplied in weak and 

 frequent doses should be the rule for weakly and newly-planted 

 roses. For its efficiency in affording the necessary stimulus 

 nothing can exceed cow or pig manure. (The rose-grower cannot 

 afford to be too fastidious.) If a bucketful or two of manure be 

 steeped in a few gallons of water for a week or so, and then be 

 diluted in clear water until it is of the colour of weak tea, it will 

 form an admirable liquid manure. The solution should, however, 

 never be applied when the soil is dry, and it should be spread over 

 as large a surface as possible, and not be poured directly round the 

 stem of the plant. The reason for this is that a well-planted and 

 vigorous rose-tree will spread its roots out for a considerable 

 distance in search of food, and if the liquid be poured in a 

 widish circle round the plant the extremities of the roots will 

 benefit as they should by the application of the manure. If there 

 has been no rain for some time the ground should be well soaked 

 with clear water the day before the liquid manure is applied. 

 If dry fertilisers are preferred, suitable compositions can be 



