106 GARDENING FOR BEGINNERS 



Divide the bed off into six sections as illustrated. The soil of 

 section A is dug out to the depth of the spade and placed on the path 

 at the other end of the bed. The broken soil is then shovelled out and 

 placed at the end also. The second or lower spit of section A is then 

 broken up with a four-pronged fork, well incorporating with the soil 

 thoroughly decayed farmyard or stable manure. The soil must not be 

 brought to the top, but kept in the same place. When this second spit 

 appears heavily charged with water, artificially drain the bed. To do 

 this, the second spit must be thrown out, and about four inches or five 

 inches of large stones, clinkers, or broken bricks put in the bottom, and 

 the second spit returned. It is wise to raise the bed four inches or 

 five inches when the soil is badly drained, as stagnation means that the 

 young roots rot away. When manure has been mixed with the bottom 

 spit, the top spit of section B is put into section A. The shovellings of 

 section B placed in A will complete the first trench. When much 

 manure, either liquid or solid, has been used on the soil in the past, a 

 dressing of chalk would improve its fertility if incorporated with the 

 surface soil at the rate of two pounds per square yard. When the soil 

 is very light, i.e. sandy or gritty, put a good layer of cow manure 

 during trenching below the bottom spit of soil. Burnt weeds and other 

 garden refuse are excellent to mix with the top soil. These may appear 

 unnecessarily elaborate preparations, but the bed when thoroughly made 

 will last for years, with the usual attention required by the plants. 



Planting. Early planting is one of the most important points, and 

 choose from the middle of October to the end of November. Roses 

 may, however, be planted in the spring, or in winter when the weather 

 is favourable. 



Purchasing. Give the order to the nurseryman early, or, better still, 

 go to the nursery and bring the plants back with you. If foliage is still 

 on the growths remove it, and to prevent the wood shrivelling, make a 

 trench in a shady spot and place the roots of the bushes in it, covering 

 them with soil until they can be properly planted. If the arrangement 

 of the kinds has been well considered on paper the Roses should be so 

 laid in the trench as to enable them to be drawn out as required with- 

 out disturbing the others. Do not leave their roots exposed to the air 

 for even a few minutes. Tea Roses must be upon the seedling or cutting 

 briar, and the last-mentioned is the best stock for the Hybrid Perpetuals. 

 When about to plant have a bucket of water ready at hand to dip 

 the roots in. Keep the plants covered with a sack or mat until required. 

 Trim over the jagged ends of the roots with a sharp knife, and if the 

 branches are more than two feet in length cut the surplus away, as 

 this prevents the wind from moving the stems to and fro after the 

 plants are in their places. In planting make a hole in the soil about 

 one foot each way, and deep enough to allow space for the roots to be 

 spread out carefully. Dwarf or bush Roses are either on their own 

 roots, that is to say, struck from cuttings, or budded upon a foster stock. 

 This foster stock is of four kinds the Briar-cutting, the Seedling Briar, 

 Manetti, and De la Grifferaie. These are described under the heading 

 of Stocks. All these stocks spread their roots outwards, except the 



