THE ROSE AN 13 ITS CULTURE. 



and charred refuse of all sorts, including- the earth, 

 which should be rather charred than burnt for such 

 purpose. In the former ease the tiame, when any, 

 is smothered in by constant additions of fresh soil ; 

 in the latter it is allowed free course. The en- 

 richment may, to a great extent, be measured 

 by the thoroughness of the admixture. One ingre- 

 dient provides what the original soil might be 

 wholly deficient of; another sets free what was so 

 secirrely locked up in the close-grained texture 

 that even the subtle searching roots of plants 

 could not get at it. The effect of the manures 

 is more transitory, but often almost immediate in 

 their action. So much is this the case with some of 

 them, that literally the wilderness of yesterday or 

 of last year is made to rejoice and blossom with 

 Roses only a few months after planting. The 

 Rose is what is termed a gross feeder, and it well 

 deserves the character. Hence, however rich or 

 varied the materials of its root-runs, it speedily 

 emj^ties and exhausts them. While the neces- 

 sity of replenishment, and the means of accomplish- 

 ing it, will be considered under cultural heads, it 

 may be well to state here, to prevent disappoint- 

 ment, that the frequent transplanting of Roses seems 

 needful to maintain them in the highest health, and 

 to keep the individual bloom up to tirst-prize stan- 

 dards of excellency. 



Depth of Rose Soils. — Here the mere truism 

 must be duly noted, that the deeper these are the 

 longer the Roses will last. Two feet is a good average 

 depth for Roses, but three is better, and even four, 

 where attainable, is to be preferred to three. The 

 roots of Roses naturally run deep ; they may be 

 termed borers, not spreaders, to invent two root- 

 phrases that will hardly be found in any treatise, 

 though their equivalents, tap and fibrous roots, will. 

 There are also not a few advantages in running 

 deep. If they do not find gold, as the deep plougher 

 is said in the song to do, they find those inorganic 

 constituents of the soil, such as the oxides of iron, 

 and other mineral matters, which are thought to 

 impart more solidity of substance, and yet brighter 

 colouring, to Roses. Besides, the deep roots are hold- 

 fasts in storms, and enable Roses to hold out long 

 against severe spells of drought, the latter being 

 amongst the most destructively injurious trials to 

 which they are subject. Finally, the depth adds 

 vastly to the area of the Rose larders, being in fact 

 our only practicable method of doubling or trebling 

 its extent and contents, without any addition to 

 either its length or breadth. Hence, the deeper 

 the beds or borders for Roses, the longer they 

 may be expected to thrive in it without renewal or 

 ^addition. 



Drainage. — The richer, better, deeper the Rose 

 soil, the more urgent and pressing the necessity 

 that no stagnant water shall lodge in or immediately 

 under it. Water in excess at the roots has slain its 

 tens of thousands of Roses, as against the thousands 

 killed by atmospheric severities and sudden changes. 



Stagnant water breaks down and utterly de- 

 stroys the texture, and that is very much the air- 

 holding capacity of soils. Most of the admixtui-es 

 recommended here have been for the main purpose 

 of improving texture. The pi-esence of stagnant 

 water for only a short time renders most of all this 

 labour lost, and will convert the best and most skil- 

 fully compounded soils into something very nearly 

 allied to a muddy pond or stagnant ditch. 



The remedy is simple as it is oT^vious. All na- 

 turally rich ground should be thoroughly drained at 

 least a foot below the level of the soil provided 

 for the Rose-roots. Should this be thi^ee feet, the 

 di'ains should be four at least, and so in proj)ortion 

 for deep or fleet root-runs. As to the distance of 

 drains, that will be determined very much by the 

 retentiveness of the soil, the amount of fall, the 

 materials used, &c. From ten to twenty feet will 

 generally prove efficient distances on .Rose soils. (See 

 chapters on Drainage.) 



Plans. — Roses are so sweet and charming that 

 they must be largely used in forming and enriching 

 flower gardens, and also for forming and furnishing 

 gardens devoted entirely to themselves. In planning 

 Rose gardens, the chief points to bear in mind 

 are to choose simj)le figures, and avoid angles as far 

 as may be, as Roses can hardly be trained so as to 

 furnish sharp corners or angles. 



Fig. 25 is a group of figures that look remarkably 

 well on a rising bank, the lowest part being at the 

 semi-circle in the middle. It also looks well on 

 level ground, with a gravel walk led across near the 

 semi-circle. Where room is plentiful, the other 

 half could be added, thus converting the group of 

 Rose beds into a Rose garden, surrounded, if need be, 

 say nine or twelve feet from the circle, with a tall 

 Rose hedge from six to ten feet in height. But, 

 as it is, Fig. 25 could be planted thus : No. 1 could 

 be cleared away for a seat, or expanded into a Rose 

 arbour or temple, or planted with any pale-coloured 

 or white Rose, such as Boule de Neige. No. 5 

 should then be planted with Duke of Edinburgh. 

 No. 4, Celine Forestier. No, 6, Triomphe des 

 Rennes. No. 3, Marie Bauman. No. 7, AKred 

 Colomb. No. 2, La France. No. 8, Lady Mary 

 Fitzwilliam. The circular beds could bo furnished 

 with dwarf standards, three or five in a bed, or with 

 strong-growing dwarfs. No. 9, Gloire de Dijon. 

 No. 10, Charles Lefebvre. No. 11, Baroness Roth- 



