The rose garden In two divisions Author:William Paul Purchase of this book includes free trial access to www.million-books.com where you can read more than a million books for free. This is an OCR edition with typos. Excerpt from book: CHAPTER II. ON LOCALITY AND SOILS; AND THE IMPEOVEMENT OE ADAPTATION OF SOILS FOE EOSE-CULTUEE. Ip we were called upon to select a spot as best suited for... more » the cultivation of Eoses, we should seek one at a distance from large towns, that we might secure the advantages of a pure air. It should lie open to the south, and be so far removed from trees of every description, that their roots could not reach the soil of our Eose-beds, or their tops overpower us with shade, and prevent a free circulation of air. If, in addition to this, we could choose our soil, that preferred would be a strong loam ; if rich, so much the better ; if poor, we would enrich it by the addition of manures. It is generally known that the Dog-Eose delights in a stiff, holding soil; and it is on the Dog-Eoso the choice garden varieties are usually budded. We do not intend by this to recommend soils commonly termed clayey, for in such there is often too great a deficiency of vegetable substances ; lighter soils, too, are found better suited for such kinds as thrive best grown on their own roots ; but this may be managed by the addition of a little light turfy loam, peat, or leaf-mould, at the time of planting. An open, airy, situation, and a stiff loamy soil, are, we say, what we should prefer, were our choice of locality and soil unlimited. With these at our command, we should expect to carry Eose- culture to perfection. " But," says the amateur, " all gardens must have Eoses, and how few are there thus favourably circumstanced ! Many are close to large towns, where the air is rendered impure by the clouds of smoke constantly streaming into them. Others are of small size, and are often hemmed in by trees on all sides ; on this with a neighbour's favourite chestnuts; on that with a group of sombre-looking f...« less