68 
JENERAL HINTS. 
the more you leave on, the better for that purpose. In this case, the 
new wood made is but short, because there is so much of it. If, on 
the contrary, you desire large blooms, cut away all the strong wood, 
of the year previous, down to two eyes at the most, and cut all the 
weak wood out altogether. Indeed, you may go further; for you 
may cut away half the strong snoots, and lessen the number of eyes 
still more. 
Again, roses in poor soil will grow and bloom; their flowers will be 
smaller, but not less healthy; their wood will be weaker and shorter, 
but still sound. The principal danger when a Eose is starved is, that 
it may come less double; and this is so serious a fault, that it has 
occasioned many to be thrown away that did not deserve it, and 
caused many others to be considered wrong varieties, when they 
wanted nothing but good growth to make them right ones. On the 
other hand, rich soils will cause a Eose to grow enormously; and all 
intermediate growths between the strongest and the weakest may be 
secured according to the soil they are put in to grow. Generally, 
people fancy that dung is the only thing required; this is a mistake, 
loam is required to grow the Eose in perfection; and if the ground is 
poor and light, a spadeful of loam and a spadeful of dung will be far 
better than two spadefuls of dung. This ought to be always mixed 
with the soil a little, and the Eose planted in it. 
Eoses are sadly injured by the wind, and the blooms require fasten¬ 
ing to something or other, to prevent their being frayed. The stakes 
of roses should always be made fast to the Eose, or the roses made fast 
to the stakes with leaden or copper wire; because bass matting, or 
other perishable stuff, will give way when high wind takes them, and 
they receive a good deal of mischief before they are observed and 
fastened again. 
Of the roses at present in cultivation, very few which are not semi¬ 
double will open out boldly; and those which are semi-double, are 
not fit to show as single flowers. There are, however, some which 
will bear the test of stand-showing, and they not of the dearest or 
newest. Those, therefore, who desire to grow none but perfect 
flowers, should state to the dealer, of whom they mean to buy, that 
their object is to have none but such as will expand and show a good 
face when fully bloomed, as they purpose growing none others. The 
