82 THE BOOK OF THE ROSE chap. 



absorption, rather than solid manure in the soil which 

 may or may not have all the materials ready in a 

 soluble state. 



3. To obtain fine fruit, from an apple, pear, or 

 peach-tree, for instance, every gardener knov7s that 

 manure is wanted when the fruit is set and begin- 

 ning to swell : that earlier it may induce too much 

 wood : and that a tree which has no fruit is best 

 without manure, as the extra nourishment is more 

 likely to produce wood than fruit buds. Eoses do 

 not form quite an analogous case : for in most cases 

 manure given early will not hinder the flowering, 

 and a certain length and strength of stem are 

 necessary for a good bud, but occasionally it might 

 cause the wood to be longer than necessary and the 

 bloom to be delayed. At all events it is when once 

 the tiny bud is formed that the Eose most needs 

 support ; all the powers of roots and leaves are at 

 that time devoted to the Eose itself, and then is the 

 special opportunity for feeding with a lavish hand. 

 Do not be afraid of making your Eoses " coarse" ; 

 we can always find room for superfluous energy by 

 less rigorous pruning in spring, or later by judicious 

 caution or delay in disbudding. 



The ordinary liquid manure which I should recom- 

 mend would be the drainings after rain from cow- 

 yard or pigstye or both, but not from the stable, 

 which is often, from being less diluted, too strong. 

 Free access to a tank containing the drainings and 

 storm-washings of a cow or bullock yard is well 

 worth paying for by any Eosarian. Unless obviously 

 very weak, it should always be diluted ; too weak 

 can do no harm, but too strong may. Without 

 appearing to hurt the strong roots, it may injure the 



