conditions which are anything but favourable, such, for instance, as a 

 town garden, where it is either difificult or impossible to improve on 

 Existing conditions ; in such an event it will be necessary to select 

 roses that are adaptable to such conditions. Often the more beauti- 

 ful roses are those demanding the most favourable conditions for 

 their proper development, consequently the growing of such under 

 adverse conditions should not be attempted. Instead, the choice 

 ought to be confined to the strongest-growing and robust varieties. 



Soils. — It is rather a common idea that roses succeed best on a stiff, 

 heavy clay soil ; this is erroneous. If the soil could be chosen, a clayey 

 loam containing 70 to 80 per cent, of clay is best for most varieties. 

 A loamy soil containing 50 to 60 per cent, of clay is best for the more 

 delicate roses which require warmth, such as Teas, Chinas, and some 

 of the Hybrid Teas, also for such as are grown on their own roots. 

 The soil can readily be made lighter previous to planting by the 

 admixture of light turfy loam, leaf mould, or wood ashes. 



With an open, airy, yet sheltered situation, and a clayey loam soil, 

 roses can be grown to the greatest perfection. 



Improvement oj Soils. — When a piece of ground is secured we set about 

 at once to try to improve it. In the case of roses, as in nearly every- 

 thing else, the first thing to be seen to is ferject drainage. If drainage 

 is not perfect it must be made so. Land is not in a lit condition unless 

 the water can penetrate to a depth below that of the roots of the roses ; 

 we want the roots to go down, and stagnant water checks this descent, 

 which means to the plant suffocation and starvation. We drain the 

 land to save the plants from drowning in wet weather or from parching 

 in dry weather. Perfect drainage may be secured by digging drains 

 3 feet 6 inches deep and about 10 yards apart (according to the nature 

 of the ground), and laying drain tiles at the bottom with 6 inches of 

 stones or brickbats placed over the tiles, the whole being covered 

 with turfs laid with the grassy side down, the object being to keep the 

 drain clear of soil. If drain tiles are not available, bushes, stones, 

 brickbats, or clinkers, although not nearly so ef&cient, may be used. 

 Secure a gentle slope from the higher ground. 



When this is finished the ground should be trenched right through 

 to the depth of about 3 feet, keeping the subsoil below and the good 

 soil to the top. Leave the surface of the soil as rough as possible, so as 

 to expose it to the fertihzing influences of the sun and air. 



In the process of trenching a hberal supply of farmyard manure 

 should be mixed with the soil to the depth of 10 to 15 inches. Cow 

 manure is undoubtedly the best manure for roses, but if this cannot 

 be obtained pig or horse will be found to be good substitutes. 



The land is now ready for planting, but it should be left about one 

 month longer if possible, to allow it to settle and to allow the sun and 

 air to do their work. If the process of draining and trenching is done 

 later than October it may be a good plan to defer planting until 

 February, or as early in the spring as the soil is workable. In this 

 case the ground should be forked or dug over again before planting 



