CHAPTER III 



SITUATION AND SOIL 



In the choice of a situation for the cultivation of roses 

 we must seek for a spot — 



1, as little liable as may be to severe frosts ; and 



2, sheltered, if possible, from violent winds, but not 

 too near large trees or hedges. 



1. It is pretty well known that most of the Tea Roses 

 are tender, and likely to be injured or killed by severe 

 frost. In the winter of 1890 the whole of my Marechal 

 Niels were absolutely killed, though they were grown in 

 a row close to the west side of a high paling, and were 

 well and thickly covered with bracken, with moreover 

 nearly a foot of snow over all. The Hybrid Perpetual 

 Roses, especially if grown as dwarfs, will generally with- 

 stand the effects of any winter ; but late frosts, in May 

 or even earlier, will seriously affect their young shoots, 

 in severe cases (as in 1891 and 1894) blackening and 

 killing them, and still oftener injuring or destroying the 

 as yet invisible bud. The worst of it is that it is 

 difficult after such a visitation to estimate at first how 

 much damage has been done. A fortnight of genial 

 weather may sometimes be required before we can see 

 whether the shoot is stopped (that is, made " blind " — 

 come to an end without a bud), and even if the bud 



