40 BEGINNER'S BOOK OF GARDENING 



soil from another part of the garden or some turfy loam 

 should be substituted. No grass should be allowed to 

 grow within at least six inches of the stem of Standard 

 Roses planted on lawns. 



In the matter of manures, Roses are somewhat gross 

 feeders. Their needs, like those of most other plants, 

 are of two kinds : firstly, they require in the soil the 

 presence of a quantity of that decomposed organic 

 material known as humus, which gives to old garden 

 soil its dark colour and unctuous feel ; secondly, they 

 require certain mineral ingredients, notably those known 

 as nitrates and phosphates. Good farmyard manure to 

 a large extent meets both these needs, though it is often 

 desirable to supplement it by certain chemical manures 

 as presently described. Old garden soil often contains 

 already a sufficiency of humus, and better results are 

 then frequently yielded by artificial manures, combined 

 with annual top-dressings of farmyard manure or leaf 

 mould. When preparing the ground for rose planting 

 the addition of a dressing of quarter-inch bones gives 

 good results. The best time to add artificial manures 

 to already established Roses is in February, an equal 

 mixture of superphosphate of lime and nitrate of potash 

 being applied to the previously-hoed surface at the rate 

 of a quarter of a pound per square yard. A very 

 important part of the cultivation of Roses lies in keeping 

 the surface of the ground pulverised to a depth of at 

 least an inch at all seasons of the year. This not only 

 helps to maintain an even temperature for the roots, but 

 also tends to check undue evaporation. 



The pruning of Roses, although commonly considered 

 as a very esoteric process, is really simplicity itself. March 

 is probably the best month for pruning all Roses except 

 Teas and Noisettes. In the care of climbing Roses 

 there should not be much cutting back. All dead and 

 weakly wood should be removed altogether, and the 



