1870. ] 
EOSES AND EOSE-CULTUEE. 
59 
rain, and water pass from them with such rapidity, that the plants have not 
sufficient time to avail themselves of these sources of nourishment. A feeble 
growth, followed by attacks from all sorts of enemies—aphis, spider, mildew—is 
usually the result. Abundance of cow-dung as manure, with copious waterings 
and sp’ingings in spring and summer, are the best palliatives ; but in extreme 
cases it is better to remove the soil wholly to the depth of 2 ft., refilling the beds 
with a good rose soil, composed of loam and manure. 
4. Chalk is not a bad subsoil for roses. One of the oldest rose gardens in 
Hertfordshire, that of Dane End, near Munden, in which the rose has for many 
years been most successfully cultivated, has a subsoil of chalk, the chalk in some 
instances rising within a few inches of the surface. There should not, however, 
be less than 18 in. of a good rose soil, if resting on chalk; .and this, if not 
naturally existing, should be secured artificially, as in the preceding instance. 
5. Rocky soils are so various in their nature, that it is difficult to offer any 
precise or definite rules for their management. Some rocky soils are so soft and 
yielding, and so rich in the inorganic constituents necessary for the growth of 
plants, that when they become disintegrated and enriched by animal or vegetable 
manures, they possess rare powers of fertility. In such, roses grow and bloom 
with remarkable vigour and beauty. Other rocky soils are hard and unyielding, 
and require a long course of labour before they can be brought into a suitable 
state for the delicate operations of gardening, among which we must class the 
cultivation of the finer varieties of roses. The rocky soils I have had to deal 
with have generally been like the gravelly and sandy soils in one particular,—too 
dry in spring and summer; and this may be in great part remedied here as there, 
by the addition of cool fertilizers and copious supplies of water. 
As before stated, we prefer for the general purposes of Rose-culture a strong, 
deep, well-drained loam, on a subsoil of chalk, clay, or gravel ;..but if the surface 
soil be 2 ft. in depth, whether naturally or artificially, we care little what the 
subsoil may be. Let it, however, be borne in mind that the nature of the 
subsoil should regulate the system of cultivation. If dealing with soils or 
subsoils that are light and porous, a top-dressing of cow-dung is beneficial in 
spring and summer, and copious waterings should be given in dry weather. In 
heavy soils, it is equally serviceable to keep the surface constantly loose, for 
which purpose the Vernon hoe will be found an excellent tool. 
One thing we should not overlook as practical cultivators, and that is the 
relation between climate and soil. For instance, roses will thrive better in a 
loose, porous soil, if the climate be moist and showers frequent, than in situations 
where but little rain falls, or in exposed places, where the plants are subjected to 
the drying action of strong winds. Heavy soils, again, which are most retentive 
of moisture, may be deteriorated by an excessive rainfall, the remedy for which 
exists in thorough drainage, and the constant loosening of the surface to favour 
evaporation.— William Paul, Paul's Nurseries^ Waltham Cross, W. 
