94 ROSES FOR ENGLISH GARDENS 



this loosened soil to place, grass downwards, the top 

 spit of an old pasture. Then in addition to the farm- 

 yard manure some half-inch bones should be mixed 

 evenly with the soil as the trenching proceeds, together 

 with some turfy loam, for there is nothing which will 

 so greatly improve almost any soil for Roses as a 

 liberal supply of fibrous loam. If possible the beds 

 should be completed in August or September, so that 

 the soil in them may have some chance of settling 

 down before the Rose plants are ready for removal to 

 their new quarters in November. 



Staking out the Beds. — As soon as the preparation 

 of the bed is completed it will be well to make a rough 

 plan of it on paper and indicate upon it the position 

 that each Rose is intended to occupy. This can 

 readily be done by arranging that the dwarf plants 

 be two feet and the standards three feet apart. These 

 distances will answer admirably for plants intended 

 for the production of exhibition blooms ; but for Roses 

 for ordinary garden or home decoration the distances 

 between the plants might with advantage be increased 

 to two feet six inches for dwarfs and to three feet 

 six inches for standards. In the case of varieties 

 described in the catalogues as " very vigorous," and 

 which are intended to be grown as bushes, the plants 

 must be five or even six feet apart. 



The Treatment of Rose Plants when received from the 

 Nurseries.— When unpacking Roses, care should be 

 taken that neither the roots nor the branches are 

 injured, and on no account should the roots be 

 allowed to become in any way dry. As soon as 



