PLANTING 



the ground level. On these two factors depend 

 the size of your excavation. The bud should be 

 not less than two inches and not more than three 

 inches below the finished level of the bed. This 

 seems like getting down to very exact planting, but 

 if the bud is higher it is not sufficiently protected in 

 winter, and the rose does not do as well if it is planted 

 lower. 



The hole being properly dug, place your rose in it, 

 carefully spreading out the roots so that they do 

 not cross or touch one another at any point. This 

 will take some time and care, but it is of the greatest 

 importance to the future growth of the rose that it 

 be properly done. Two persons can do the work 

 much better than one. In our own planting we 

 always have a small bucket containing top soil and 

 bone meal finely powdered in equal parts which we 

 lightly sprinkle at the bottom of the hole and also 

 on the roots; we have found this to be very helpful 

 to their growth, because it precludes the possibility 

 of any manure touching the roots (manure which is 

 too fresh and not well rotted will burn them) -and 

 promotes the growth of the very much to be de- 

 sired fibrous feeding roots. After this preparation 

 is put in, we have our helper shovel in the soil 

 carefully, a little at a time, to fill up the hole. As 

 he puts it in, we tamp it firmly with a stick, and, 



105 



