278 
THE COTTAGE GARDENER. 
July 14. 
raedied, and wlmt plans should be adopted to secure as 
I much as possible the perpetual character. 
By “ perpetual,” I do not here mean the class of 
Roses known by that name alone. I include all that 
have a tendency, under fortunate circumstances, to con¬ 
tinue blossoming through the summer and autumn, 
whether Bourbons, Teas, Perpetuals, or any others. 
When we come to look closely into this subject, it 
will appear astonishing how much blossom some kinds 
of Roses will sustain; we wonder how such a slender, 
wiry root, of so little volume, can cater for such a 
wondrous mass of flowers. We naturally admire the 
profusion of Wild Roses that grow around some old 
clay-pit, tangling in endless festoons among the houghs 
of alders, or other brushwood; but fancy such bushes 
equally laden with such blossoms as are produced by 
Malmaison, Ban one Prevost, or Blairii, No. 2 ! But 
there are limits to this fecundity; it is scarcely possible 
that such enormous blossoms could be produced in such 
quantities. Taking mere weight to represent quality, 
doubtless many a tree Rose in our gardens would 
furnish produce by far heavier in the aggregate than 
the largest of our Dog Roses in a wild state; and that, 
too, within the compass of a sjirucely pruned little 
standard. 
Roses “ wear out,” as it is termed; that is to say, even 
the Wild, or Dog Rose, under ordinary circumstances, 
has a constant tendency to the reproduction of suckers; 
these, in a short period, assisting in completing that 
destiny to the older branches which assuredly awaits 
themselves in due course. Still, if our friends who live 
in districts celebrated for Wild Roses will carefully 
examine into their habits, they will occasionally find 
that some escape this destiny and become almost trees. 
We have plenty close to where I write that have at¬ 
tained a height of from ten to twenty feet, with stems 
nearly as thick as my wrist, and which must be nearly 
a score years old. 
Now, whatever be the causes of this durability, it is 
plain that the question of durability in our cultivated 
kinds is identified in a high degree with it. In order to 
appreciate this enquiry, it is only necessary for our 
readers, who feel interested in the subject, to take an 
| hour’s ramble purposely; and if I may be allowed the 
honourable post of guide in the matter, I shall select 
two localities to illustrate my subject; the one, the 
margin of a pit, hole, or other excavation, in a district 
noted for a deep and rich loam ; the other, the common 
hedge-row, in a burning or sandy district; the former a 
low level, with, perhaps, a pond of water ; the latter a 
dry elevation. In the first case, we may find gigantic 
specimens rambling, as before observed, some twenty 
feet, and bearing every stamp of luxuriant durability in 
| producing suckers annually of a dozen feet in length. 
In the sandy hedge bank, we find a race of stunted 
bushes, the wood of which is discoloured, and carries 
wcaring-out symptoms before it is half-a-dozen years of 
age. But the latter will be found to bloom more 
profusely, or will rather produce a greater body of 
blossom at one period than the pit Roses, which, on 
examination, will be found to approach a stage nearer 
to the perpetual character. In the pit case, we have a 
more powerful absorption by the root, through a more 
generous and abiding soil, with a much less amount of 
perspiration from the foliage; whilst, on the sandy soil, 
the vigour is far behind as to root power; and a free 
exposure to sunshine causes the plants to expend the 
chiel of their powers in the production of blossoms. 
I think that there can be little doubt that the foliage 
of the Rose possesses high absorbent qualities, for I 
have ever found them of a more vigorous character 
where much atmospheric moisture prevailed. Be that 
as it may, we may be well assured, that where a some- 
j what dry air prevails, and the object is to produce a 
liberal amount of blossom, with as much of the perpetual 
character as possible, some equivalent must be pro¬ 
vided in order to meet such excessive demands. That 
equivalent must be sought in the use of not only rich, 
but enduring, soils. 1 have tried Roses on the common 
Dog Rose stock on sandy soils, and on those approaching 
the clayey, or in sound loams; but the latter have ever 
been more satisfactory. One of my chief aims in thus 
arguing the matter, is to endeavour to persuade those 
who wish to excel in Roses to take proper pains of the 
proper kind previous to planting. In this respect, I 
have known much labour and valuable material mis¬ 
applied, or wasted. Although I am as strenuous an 
advocate as most for an abundant application of ma¬ 
nure to the Rose in general, yet I must declare, from 
experience, that not those who have used the most 
manorial matter have excelled, but rather those who, in 
taking a broader view of the question, bear also in 
mind the propriety of studying durability in the com¬ 
post ; in other words, the securing a texture of soil, not 
only beyond the drying of a week’s hot weather, but 
of the whole season. 
I am quite aware, that in soils naturally pretty good 
in character, little more is requisite to produce fine 
Roses for a year or two than to use a very liberal 
amount of rotten manure; and, indeed, who shall de¬ 
spise such liberal treatment? Still, I would fain have 
those who plant standard Roses in situations considered 
permanent, such, for instance, as the sides of a pro¬ 
menade, to take extra pains, and if the labour appear 
greater at first, such will be amply repaid in the end, 
not only by the greater and more continuous success, 
but in the economics of the affair. There will be less 
depredations from insects, less disease, and less necessity 
for tampering with liquid-manures. Not that I by 
any means condemn the use of the latter, but that I 
would so establish my Roses at the first, as that they 
would be in a position to endure extremes of weather, 
and that I, too, might be in a position to take my 
nightly slumbers, undisturbed by visions of Roses 
covered with fading leaves and aphides. 
I have omitted all ideas of pruning purposely, but of 
that I shall say more by-and-by. I must confine myself 
to root matters in this paper. And now let me suggest 
a compost, such as I have found peculiarly adapted to 
standard Roses on the Dog Rose stock. Possibly some 
of our readers cannot avail themselves of such, and 
others, perhaps, will think it involves a good deal of 
trouble;—the former I pity ; the latter I blush for. 
Strong loamy turf from old clayey pastures forms 
one-half, but this is obtained nearly two years before 
used. The material I have found best, possesses a thick, 
coarse sward, and is stacked or ridged until the sward 
is fairly decayed—say nine months. It is then chopped 
to pieces with a sharp spade, when dry, and in that 
state is mixed into a compost with manurial and veget¬ 
able matters, composed of cow manure and old horse 
droppings; both the latter, being of some age, have lost 
their original appearance, and look like good ordinary 
rotten manure. To this is added sharp sand and some 
burnt ashes, and the whole is stirred and turned until 
perfectly mixed together. A heap like this should be 
made annually, by ambitious Rose-growers, and my 
practice is to thatch it with ordinary turf, in order to 
throw ofT the rains, and to preserve all its qualities for 
a length of time. I do not, however, rely on this mix¬ 
ture alone; depth of soil is, I find, a most important 
point, and no wonder either. 
Now, the difference between this compost and one 
composed of some ordinary garden soil, or sandy 
loam, with manurial matters, is this—my compost 
will supply every need during a three weeks’ drought, 
even though the waterpot is at rest; the same cannot 
be said of the sandy soil. But depth is most im- 
