THE ROSE AND ITS CULTURE. 



321 



and Covering of the Roots, Solidit}-, Stability, 

 Mulching-, and Arrangement of the Plants. 



Distance. — The distance may range from two feet 

 to thirty, according to soil, site and situation. The 

 first is a fair distance for dwarfs, or very low 

 standards in line, or mass in heds or borders; the 

 latter not excessive for fine finished standards, 

 furnishing the sides of a ten or fifteen feet walk. 

 Pyramidal or Pillar Roses need almost equally 

 great distances to render them effective, whereas 

 AVeeping Roses look best so far asunder as to be seen all 



such as Marshal Niel, and Gloire de Dijon, would 

 speedily cover ten times the area thus allowed 

 them. But as the stronger growers spread far and 

 wide, tlie weaker and less valuable ones may be 

 cleared away ; and as rose plants are cheap, and 

 roses and wall space valuable, thick planting pays 

 best. Besides, not a few of our finest Tea Roses grow 

 rather slowly, and planted a yard apart on a six feet 

 wall, it will be several years before they cover it. 



Climbing and Trailing Roses are generally 

 planted at distances of from five to twenty or more 



o o o o o 



Grass 



Grass 



o o o o 



Fig-. 27.— EosE Garden at Hardwicke. 



round without compression or contact with other 

 plants or forms. But all these may be treated here 

 as exceptional, and the general principle determining 

 distances apart in reference to effect may be 

 determined chiefly by their breadth and height, and the 

 purposes and positions for and in which they are 

 planted. The majority of rose plants come under the 

 general designation of standards and dwarfs. For 

 the first the range of distance may reach from two 

 feet to four, three feet being a good average. For 

 tall and strong-growing standards, however, five will 

 not be excessive, and two or two-and-a-half feet will 

 be found ample for the dwarf er and weaker standards. 



For Dwarf Roses the distance may range from one 

 foot to three ; from eighteen inches to two-and- 

 a-half feet being the more usual distance. 



Roses on walls may average a yard apart. Many, 

 21 



feet apart, as some of these will run so many feet in 

 a single season. 



Depth. — Most Roses are planted too deeply. This 

 is often done thoughtlessly, more frequently in the 

 hope of saving the labour and cost of staking and 

 tj^ng. It is very injurious, and proves In fact one 

 of the most fruitful sources of disease and death. 

 Besides, the roots of roses mostly run rather too 

 deeply, plant them as we may, and it is not worth 

 while to intensify this tendency by starting them too 

 low in the soil at planting. Deep planting also 

 makes the roots to multiply suckers, a provoking 

 tendency, sure to be sufiiciently developed without 

 the planter's help. If the surface roots have a cover- 

 ing of three inches, and the lower ones of eight at 

 the most, it will be found amply sufficient. Thus 

 the root-plane of lioses should be found at starting 



