116 



THE BOOK OF THE ROSE 



CHAP. 



We have now the cuttings ready for planting, smooth 

 shoots of wood ten inches long, with two buds left at the 

 top. These should be at once set in a piece of fairly 

 light and very clean soil, deep enough to almost cover the 

 lower bud. Double rows may again be used, ten inches 

 and four inches alternately separating the rows, and the 

 cuttings three inches apart from each other. It is 

 advisable to set twice as many as you expect to want ; 

 for, though the trimming of the cuttings takes a 

 considerable time, the crop is uncertain, and there is 

 much virtue in the comfortable old adage to " make a 

 job of a thing while you are about it." The soil should 

 be made as firm as possible about the cuttings, but 

 nevertheless if you come after a sharp frost and just 

 touch the top of one with your finger you will find that 

 it has been raised up, sometimes an inch or more, in its 

 hole. They should all be gently pushed down again 

 till they rest firmly. 



They grow but slowly in the spring, but increase in 

 rapidity of growth when they have once become rooted 

 and some will probably make quite strong shoots in the 

 autumn. These might in some instances be budded at 

 once, but it is best to leave them all to the next year 

 for that operation. With the summer will be realised 

 the advantage of the advice to choose a piece of clean 

 soil free from weeds. The shoots are close to the earth, 

 and the first ones grow horizontally almost on the 

 ground. Not only therefore is it almost impossible to 

 hoe them, but a full growth of weeds can almost 

 entirely smother the briar shoots. The weeds must 

 therefore be hand-picked, a troublesome and unpleasant 

 job. 



In the planting season they must all be dug up, 

 remembering how deep they are planted and that all 



