38 



THE BOOK OF THE ROSE 



CHAP. 



to prevent the fire going out or breaking through too 

 fiercely anywhere, the object being to char the clay 

 black and not to burn it red. I recommend, as the best 

 instruction possible for this as for all mechanical opera- 

 tions, seeing it once done by an old and experienced hand. 

 The clay burnt red as a brick will be useful as a disinte- 

 grator at all events ; but the black charred clay will also 

 have a considerable manurial value, and it is generally 

 agreed that there is nothing like it for improving at the 

 same time the consistence and fertility of real solid 

 clay. 



Roses in a clay soil make long strong roots, but not 

 many of them. It will be advisable therefore in such 

 places to put in plants from a lighter soil, whether Roses 

 or stocks, which would have a larger number of roots of 

 a more fibrous nature though not so large ; and it 

 would be very desirable to have a little lighter soil — 

 leaf mould or the top soil of an old garden — to put in 

 immediate contact with the roots. Still, if the clay 

 land be really good and well drained, it will often repay 

 all labour spent on it, especially in a hot and early 

 summer; for the Dog-Rose does like heavy soil, and with 

 a well-cultivated surface above to prevent cracking on 

 the one hand or too great consolidation on the other, 

 and with plenty of moisture in the cool tenacious though 

 well-drained substance below, most of the H.P. roses 

 may be expected to come to full perfection on this 

 stock. 



Loam. — If there was a choice, I should select rather 

 the best loam with a tendency to clay, what a farmer 

 would call " strong " land. There is very great dif- 

 ference in the value and fertility of what in auc- 

 tioneer's phrase would be "good mixed soil"; and I 

 can only repeat that the best guide on this matter is 



