136 MASSACHUSETTS HORTICULTURAL SOCIETT. 



As to the soil best adapted for their success, since we are often 

 obliged to conform to the conditions that surround us, almost any 

 soil may be worked into the proper state by careful treatment. 

 Soils best adapted to the rose are those of a somewhat tenacious 

 character, or such as are not likely to dry quickly ; but an}' good 

 garden soil, properly trenched after being well drained, and thor- 

 oughly subsoiled, will be likely to produce the desired results. 

 Autumn is the best time for trenching, as also for planting except 

 for tea roses and their allies. In doing this, take a given amount 

 of ground, dig a trench at first a spade in depth, and half that in 

 width, removing tbs soil to the other end ; then turn up the sub- 

 soil at the bottom of the trench, place on it a plentiful supply of 

 manure, not stirring it in, cover with the soil from the next 

 trench, and so on till all is complete. Half-decayed leaf-mould, 

 spent hops, or fresh manure will answer the purpose, as the 

 manure will be in good condition for the plants b}' the time their 

 roots reach down to it. A space of three feet between the rows, 

 and two feet between the plants is a suitable arrangement of 

 distance, as the plants can then be easily banked with soil for 

 protection in winter, — quite an essential matter with Teas, which 

 are more tender than Remontants and require more covering. 

 In planting, dig trenches about twelve inches wide and from 

 sixteen to eighteen inches deep ; in the trench should be placed a 

 liberal supply of well rotted manure, with a little ground bone, all to 

 be turned under with a garden fork. Then place the rose in the 

 trench and press the soil firmly about the roots, — the latter a very 

 important part of the operation. 



If it were possible to keep our roses covered from the middle of 

 December to the middle of March with a cool blanket of snow, 

 what splendid plants we should see in the early spring, instead 

 of the pinched and withered stems that are frequentl}' found ! A 

 rose does not like coddling ; a uniform cool temperature, free 

 from dr3'ing winds, is the most congenial to the plant. 



In autumn planting, there is no danger from drought, whereas 

 in spring, if the weather is dry, newly planted roses suffer greatly 

 from excessive evaporation, though frequent sprinkling will check 

 this in a measui-e, and if the plants are mulched with manure on 

 the surface it will tend to prevent excessive drying of the fine 

 roots. 



The next branch of our subject is the selection of stocks, as the 

 roses, if not on their own roots, are worked either on Manetti 



