56*2 JOURNAL OF THE ROYAL HORTICULTURAL SOCIETY. 



for exhibition blooms require so much attention that the ground is fre- 

 quently trampled on, and often when it is very wet, with the result that 

 it becomes almost impervious to air and moisture ; therefore mere surface 

 cultivation with a hoe or a pricking over with a fork is wholly insufficient 

 to loosen the soil to a proper depth to give free access of air to the roots. 

 I know that many will think that great risk is run of damage to the roots 

 if the spade is used, and I readily admit that in the hands of a man who 

 does not understand what he is doing some harm would no doubt be done, 

 but not so much as many would anticipate. The spaces between my 

 Teas are dug over early each winter, when they receive a good coating of 

 manure. The soil is only stirred to the depth of not more than two 

 inches near the plants, where the roots are close to the surface and where 

 there has been no traffic to consolidate it ; but in the middle of the space 

 between the rows, where there are no roots near the surface and where 

 the summer traffic has been. I like to see the spade pushed down into the 

 soil to nearly its full length. This treatment ensures the soil being 

 sweetened and so well pulverised by frost as to render surface cultivation 

 in the year following much more easy and efficient. For moving the sur- 

 face of the soil where it has become too consolidated for the Dutch hoe to 

 be readily used, I have a " crome " with two prongs five inches long and three 

 inches apart. There is another and equally important reason for good 

 surface cultivation : that is the cutting off of capillary attraction, so that 

 the moisture in the soil, though attracted up to the roots, may not be lost 

 by evaporation from the surface. 



To prevent this loss, the top two or three inches of soil must be kept 

 broken down very finely, so that the air between the small lumps may 

 act as a non-conductor. With regard to mulching, except as a protection 

 to newly-planted Roses and against the splashing of dwarfs by heavy 

 rains, I do not use any. I have never had any standard Teas mulched. 

 I consider a thin coating of fresh stable litter the best mulch ; but sodden, 

 half-rotten manure should not be used. A thick coating of wet manure 

 prevents free access of air to the roots, and I believe that the vapour 

 arising from it after rain assists the growth of mildew. I am not in 

 favour of watering save in a few exceptional cases, and then, of course, 

 sufficient must be applied to thoroughly moisten the soil. Last year, with 

 a total rainfall of between fifteen and sixteen inches only, my Roses had 

 uo water given to them. As opinions differ so greatly on the question of 

 how much or how little Teas should be pruned, I will close my remarks 

 with a brief reference to it. If the frosts leave any choice I am distinctly 

 in favour of letting some strong shoots — if well placed and thoroughly 

 ripened —remain at nearly their full lengths. I consider this absolutely 

 necessary in the case of the stronger-growing varieties. If at the time of 

 pruning the young new growths are very advanced, I like to leave one or 

 two of the stronger of them, as I believe that they prevent such a great 

 check being given to root action as would be the case if all were removed. 

 These can be taken off later or shortened back if it is found that they are 

 not likely to carry perfect blooms. 



There is one item of plant revision or pruning I must refer to, and 

 that is late summer pruning. I think all plants should be looked over not 

 later than the end of September, and all useless wood removed. This enables 



