344 THE BOOK OF THE ROSE chap. 



saw in quest of standard stocks. If no winter 

 mulch is applied to the Eose beds, the surface 

 should still be kept stirred and loose. Eoses for the 

 earliest forcing may be pruned and started at the 

 end of the month, and grafting under glass may be 

 commenced about Christmas time. 



January. — This is the best month for grafting in 

 heat, though it may be continued in February. In 

 light frosts, strong liquid manure may be put on the 

 Eose beds, when it will sink in rapidly and in 

 quantity. After or during high winds, the Teas 

 may be inspected to see that the protective materials 

 are secure, and standards should be looked to, as 

 they may have broken away from their stakes. 

 Standard stocks may still be got at any time when 

 the weather is open. Even in severe frost work 

 may be found in digging trenches to discover and 

 cut off the invading roots of trees and shrubs. 

 Eoses being forced under glass will now be starting 

 and requiring much care, and winter grafting will 

 be in full swing. 



February. — If farmyard manure is used in the 

 soil, now is the time to dig or fork it in, but be sure 

 it is thoroughly decomposed, or in my opinion it 

 will do more harm than good. Still, it supplies the 

 vegetable matter of humus, and if the soil in the 

 beds be raw and light-coloured, such an addition 

 is necessary, but the upper portion of the beds 

 should originally have been supphed with humus, in 

 old garden mould or the like. If no digging is 

 practised, the soil should be well loosened by the 

 hoe, as some weeds will probably have grown since 

 October. The artificial manure should then be 

 applied, choosing a still day when it can be 



