DESCRIPTIVE LIST OF FLOWERING SHRUBS. 445 
nuring. In a poor, lean, shallow soil, it is impossible to 
bring out the beauties of any variety of the Rose. A 
strong, rich loam, or vegetable mould, with about one 
quarter of its bulk of well decomposed stable manure, is 
recommended by Parsons as a standard for the quality 
of the soil in which to grow the Rose; and if the soil of 
the garden, where the Rose is to be planted, differs ma- 
terially from this, the requisite materials should be added, 
that it may approach as near as possible to that standard. 
In my own experience, J have found that the more ma- 
nure, if not an extravagant quantity, the better the bloom; 
but, in addition to the quality and richness of the soil, a 
good depth is absolutely necessary. My general practice 
is to plant out Roses in beds, which, for all the hardy 
Roses, I prefer to do in November. First, the ground 
should be trenched two spades deep, and a liberal supply 
of stable, barnyard, or night-soil manure, with bone-dust 
incorporated with it, as the digging proceeds, but not 
buried too deep. I have not been very particuliar as to the 
quantity or quality of the manure. After the ground is 
settled, the Roses may be planted. Four feet each way 
is about the proper distance to plant the different varieties 
of Roses, in the rosary. 
Rivers recommends, as the best compost for Roses, rot- 
ten dung and pit sand for cold, clayey soils; and for warm, 
dry soils, rotten dung and cool loams. He finds that 
night-soil, mixed with the drainings of the dunghill, or 
even with common ditch or pond water, so as to make a 
thick liquid, the best possible manure for Roses, poured on 
the surface of soil twice in the winter, one or two gallons to 
each tree. In our climate, it may be applied in Novem- 
ber and in April. In my beds of established Roses, I 
cause manure from the stable to be applied to the surface 
of the ground about the bushes, in November, which 
serves as a protection; some of the tender sorts are fast- 
