54 THE BOOK OF THE ROSE chap. 



should not be narrower than five feet, not only for 

 the convenience of visitors, but also for the convey- 

 ance of water or liquid manure in hand-carts. 



In these beds are three rows of Eoses, the rows 

 sixteen inches from each other and seventeen inches 

 from the grass, and the strongest and tallest growers 

 naturally in the centre row. There should be no 

 hesitation about planting the Eoses pretty close to 

 each other, for the bed will be all prepared and fed 

 alike, and they will not rob each other much. 

 Beginners are apt to make a mistake in this respect, 

 probably having young trees and shrubs in their 

 minds ; but they should remember that in the case 

 of ordinary H.P.s and Teas grown in the open for 

 the production of the finest blooms, most of the 

 Eose plants will not increase very much in size, for 

 the annual pruning will prevent this. I have seen 

 many Eose beds where I should have nearly double 

 as many plants, and rows of standards whose 

 distance apart might be counted by yards; there 

 might be some excuse for wanting " to hide the 

 soil " in such cases. 



It will be found most convenient for reference 

 and labelling, and especially if exhibiting is contem- 

 plated, to place all the plants of one variety together 

 in a row ; and though the first idea is to dot them 

 all about the beds, the effect will be better if they 

 are massed together. 



Then the distance of the plants from each other 

 in the rows should depend entirely upon the varieties ; 

 sorts that are spreading as well as tall and strong, 

 such as Mrs. Paul, should be eighteen to twenty 

 inches apart, while such as are upright as well as 

 small growers, as Lady Mary Fitzwillian, may be 



