THE GARDEN.

Otaki Mail, Volume 26, 23 June 1919, Page 4

THE GARDEN.

ROiS.ES. A well-known authority on rose growing writes:— Roses can easily sclaim to be the most extensively grown plants of any in our gardens. There is hardly a graden to be; found without at least a few specimens. and there are others again wholly devoted to their culutre. Some districts certainly have mole tnan others, but on the whole the rose is the most popular plant. - we have. Much has been written abfjnr the soils they require, bur. if a little trouble is gone to at llrsr when making up the bed they will be found to take kindly t.o almost, any soil. The most frequent advice is to use cow manure for light sandy soils, and stable manure for heavy soils, but providing that the heavy soils are provided with good drainage it will be found that in .the end cow manure is best for them. too. It is more lasting and as it. holds moisture to nearly double the percentage that, other manures will; it keeps the roots cool in the hottest and driest of summers. Cow manure is not a complete manure in itself, but if other things such as bonedust, and-snot are added then there is no reason why we should' not get the best that is to be got from the plants. Sandy soils can bo improved by the addition of; a; certain amount of finely broken up clay or papa rock; the latter perhaps is the best, and when its value as a part of rose beds is known It will be in great, demand. There are certainly a number of grades in the quality of the different papa rocks that can be got, but work on the plan that any is better than none, and you will find that vour roses'* will respond readily. The wav to use it is to spread it over the surface, and to dig it into the surface before the bushes are planted. A very thin dressing ivill make a wonderful difference, Noiv there is another very important item in growing,roses, which is often overlooked, and that is the depth to', which the-soil-is worked. The deeper and better broken up the.' better the growth will be, and upon the growth depends the amount of bloom you will vet in a season. When an old exhibitor gets to work to make up a bed to grow liis favourites in be will go down as

deeply as he can. The depth is only regulated by the drainage, which must be below the lowest part of the bed. This bed is filled with soil and manure and a little clay until it is well above the surface of the surrounding soil. The bed is then allowed to sink before the bushes' are set out.

After the plants are put in position and named, the- surface of the bed is kept, in a thorough state of cultivation from then onwards. The cultivation is not. deep, but it is thorough, and is persisted in for all time. If any individual plant does not-seem to be growing as well as it might it is given some stimulant, perhaps in the shape of liquid manure or a little artificial .manure. Manuring with artificials or liquid manure is not general, however, until the buds have formed and set; then manure in various forms is giveu rogutarlv until all the flowers required have been picked. Many and various are the receipts adopted by the different growers for makifig these liquid manures, but with them all soot and animal manures form the base. These are put in bags and soaked in a tub of water, aud only the clear liquid is used to water with, and only then after the beds have had a good soaking with clear water. While the flowers are opening there is much to be done, but that part of the work will be given in due season. The principal thing to do now- is to prepare the ground, and prepare it thoroughly. If the roses ordered somo time ago should come to hand before you are ready heel them into the ground, and go on with the bed making.