EXHIBITING ROSES 125 



vigour of the plant, but the blooms they produce will 

 be found as a rule to be coarse and unfit for exhibi- 

 tion. This process of thinning should be continued 

 until the buds on the selected shoots are showing 

 colour. 



Manuring. — As Roses are gross feeders, it will be 

 necessary to keep the plants well nourished by the 

 threefold application of (1) farmyard or other animal 

 manure, (2) artificial manure, and (3) liquid manure. 



(1) In the autumn a good dressing of half -rotten 

 manure — farmyard for preference — should be lightly 

 dug into the beds between the plants, taking care to 

 disturb the roots as little as possible. 



(2) In March, and again in May, either Clay's 

 fertilizer, or other artificial Rose manure, should be 

 dusted around each plant, and afterwards mixed 

 with the surface soil by means of a hand-fork. A 

 small handful of either of these manures will be a 

 sufficient application for each Rose. 



(3) As soon as the flower - buds are formed the 

 plants should be watered once a week with liquid 

 manure. The first watering, especially if the soil 

 be at all dry at the time, should be very weak. The 

 strength of the liquid after this may be increased, 

 but at no time should the colour be deeper than 

 that of pale ale. An excellent liquid manure may 

 be made by mixing in a tubful of water some fresh 

 cow manure, soot, and guano, in the following pro- 

 portions : three parts cow manure, one part soot, 

 and one part guano. After these ingredients have 

 been thoroughly mixed with the water, the concen- 



