34 ROSES FOR ENGLISH GARDENS 



for that purpose, and the severe pruning to encourage 

 larger flowers and the shading to preserve colour 

 put the plant that is to bear them out of the category 

 of beautiful things in the garden, whereas the own 

 root Roses, bearing slightly smaller flowers — though 

 there are exceptions even to this — fulfil their best 

 purpose as true garden plants. 



There can be no doubt that on rather light soils 

 and quite poor ones — not of course left to themselves, 

 but moderately and reasonably improved — own root 

 Roses of the kinds classed as show Roses do better 

 than grafted. This being so, and their other advan- 

 tages being considered, it seems strange that they are 

 not oftener so grown. Moreover they strike readily 

 in July and August, so that if they cannot be obtained 

 elsewhere, they can easily be made at home from 

 grafted plants. 



Every /me who has grown Roses on a poor or dry 

 soil, even when beds have been well prepared and 

 duly mulched and all reasonable care given, knows 

 only too well that sad, worn-out look of unhappy 

 grafted Roses, some three years after planting. There 

 are varieties that to the Rose lover are indispensable, 

 such as Catherine Mermet, a kind that will do quite 

 well in such soils on its own roots, whereas the 

 same grand Rose grafted is a total failure. 



There is also a satisfaction in knowing just what 

 one is growing. If a Rose is on its own roots there 

 is no doubt about its identity. If it fails after 

 reasonable trial we may know that the Rose itself 

 will not be happy, and not that it is perhaps a 



