LuDLAir. — Gultivation and Acclimatization of Trees, Sfc. 301 



answer as well for them, in which case it will save a good deal of trouble. 

 It must not be supposed from my saying that good drainage is required that 

 the plants would grow on soil liable at any time to become very dry ; there 

 is just a fair medium required to insure success in their growth ; care must 

 be taken in digging the bed not to disturb the roots of the plants. Every 

 season I put some fresh earth round mine, and tread it in ; a dressing of 

 ashes from burnt weeds is a first-rate manure for them. 



EOSES. 



These general favourites, so well known, and so universally cultivated, 

 I should not say anything about, but that I tried a plan of growing 

 them which I have found to succeed well, and I hope to induce others 

 to try it. My great objection to the ordinary culture is to the digging 

 about their roots every season. I prepared my beds, which are of deep 

 alluvial soil (well suited to the rose), by first putting on an ample allowance 

 of old manure, and digging it well down for some time before I want to 

 plant the roses. Having planted, I merely keep the beds hoed to destroy 

 the weeds, and every winter I give a top dressing of old manure. By this 

 means the plants are fed sufficiently to support a strong growth, and bloom 

 without their roots being hacked about. The varieties I treat in this 

 manner are the perpetuals, mosses, Chinas, &c. I have about ninety dis- 

 tinct varieties, which, for months in the summer, are one mass of flowers, 

 many of them of a very large size. I prune them well back in winter, so 

 soon as they are quite dormant. To have plants like Camellias, Azaleas, 

 Rhododendrons and roses in perfection, I should say make beds for each 

 variety; for many reasons — firstly, they appear to greater advantage in 

 masses, particularly if attention is paid to have a proper distribution of 

 colours ; secondly, they thrive much better than when planted in the 

 borders with other plants and trees, where they have to contend with ranker 

 growing shrubs, &c. ; thirdly, they are much easier attended to if a large 

 collection is wished for. 



One of the greatest troubles I find in the cultivation of the rose arises 

 from the ravages of the aphis or green fly ; unless attention is paid to 

 destroy them, there is little chance of obtaining a good bloom. I have 

 tried many plans, such as smoking them with tobacco, washing them with 

 the same and wood ashes, but have found the effects only temporary. I 

 now watch the plants very closely as they begin to grow in spring, and, with 

 a tooth brush, destroy the insects so soon as they appear. Looking at them 

 every other day will be enough to keep them down. It appears, at first, a^ 

 though it involved great trouble, but such is not the case, as, if constantly 

 attended to, an hour will be time enough to go over a good number of 



