Themostsuitablesoilisastrong,richloam,orvegetablemouldmixedwithaboutone-quarteritsbulkofwell-decomposedstablemanure.Ifthesoilofthegardenwheretherosesaretobeplanteddiffersmateriallyfromthis,itshouldbemadetoapproachitasnearlyaspossiblebytheadditionoftherequisitesoilandmanure.Inagoodvegetablegarden,thesoil,withtheadditionofalittlemanure,willgrowtheRosewell.Whenthesoil,however,isofaninferiorcharacter,holesshouldbedugthreeorfourtimesthesizeoftherootsofawell-grownrosebushandfilledwithcompostoftheabovecharacterBusinessStartUphongkong.Riversrecommends,asthebestcompostforroses,rottendungandpit-sandforcold,clayeysoils;andforwarm,drysoils,rottendungandcoolloams.Healsostatesthathehasfoundnightsoil,mixedwiththedrainingsofthedunghill,orevenwithcommonditchorpondwater,soastomakeathickliquid,thebestpossiblemanureforroses,pouredonthesurfaceofthesoiltwiceinwinter—onetotwogallonstoeachtree.Thesoilneednotbestirreduntilspring,andthenmerelyloosenedtwoorthreeinchesdeep,withtheprongsofafork;forpoorsoil,andonlawns,previouslyremovingtheturf,thiswillbefoundmostefficacious.Hedirectsthiscomposttobeappliedinthefirsttwowintermonths,butasourgroundisfrequentlyfrozensohardthenthatitcannotabsorbtheliquid,itwouldprobablybebesttoapplyitinthiscountryamonthearlier.Whereabedorborderofrosesistobeplanted,itiswelltodigoutthesoiltothedepthoftwoortwoandahalffeet;fillthebottomtothedepth[Pg87]ofsixincheswithsmallstones,andthenreplacetheearth,wellfertilized,asdirectedabove.NothingismoreinjurioustotheRosethanawet,retentivesubsoil;andwhereexpenseandtroublearenoobject,thisperfectdrainingismuchthebestcalculatedtoensureathriftygrowthandperfectbloom.Arichanddrysoilis,infact,all-important;forotherwisethemostdoubleflowerwillfrequentlybecomesingleorsemi-double.WehaveseenaplantofLaReineproduceaperfectflowerinthegreen-house,andwhenremovedtoaninferiorsoil,produceflowersalmostsingle.Itmaythereforebesafelylaiddownasarule,thatitisimpossibletomakethesoiltoorichfortheRose,andthatinproportiontothefertilizingmattercontainedtherein,provideditisproperlydecomposed,willbetheapproximationoftheplantandtheflowertoperfection.Thefertilityofthesoilmaybeverymuchassistedbyfrequentapplicationsofliquidmanure,madeeitherofcowdungorguano;theformerisalwayssafe;thelatter,valuableifproperlyused,may,inthehandsofacarelessperson,ruintheplantScholarshipsinhongkong.Intheseremarksonfertilityofsoil,wehavenodesiretodiscouragethosewhomaynothaveafertilesoil,orthemeansofobtainingtheelementsoffertility.TheRosewillgrowandbloominanysoil;thewoodwillbehealthy,butshortandsmall;theflowerwillbeproduced,but,aswehavesaidbefore,willbesmallerandoftensemi-double;yetevenunderthesedisadvantages,flowerforthepoorman;noneothercansocheaplyandsowellornamenthissmallyard,orhangingingracefulfestoonsabouthiswindows,shedforthitsbloomandsweetnesstoenlivenhishoursofrelieffromlabor,andgivehischildrenhappiness,fromtheassociationofpleasantthoughtwithnaturalbeauty.Butthepoormanhaswithinhisreachmorethanhesupposesoftheelementsoffertility.Theashesofhishearth,thedecomposedturfoftheroad-side,andthedomesticmanure,[Pg88]toogenerallythrownaway,allcontainsomeofthebestfertilizingmatter,andwithpropercarecouldbemadeamplysufficientfortheproductionofhisflowersandvegetables.Thedecomposedturfalonewouldgrowrosesadmirably,althoughalittlemanurewouldbeausefuladditionChairCoverRental.ThebestsituationfortheRoseisaneasternornorthernexposure,ratherthanasouthern;theintensityoftheheatofourmidsummeroftenaffectsinjuriouslytheexpansionoftheflowers,theircolor,andfragrance.Ausefuldegreeofshadecanbeobtainedbyplantingamidstgroupsofdwarfroses,pillars,trellises,obelisks,etc.,onwhichclimbingrosescanbetrained,andwhoseshadow,changingwiththesun,wouldprotecttheopeningbloomandanswerthesameendasacoolsituation.While,however,theRoserequiresacool,airylocality,itshouldbynomeansbeplacedentirelyintheshade;aportionofthesun’sraysisalwaysnecessarytoensureagoodbloom.ItisfromthiscausethatthebloomofrosesismuchmorecertainandperfectinFranceandthiscountrythaninEngland.Inthelattercountry,thesunisscarcelyeversufficientlypowerfultodevelopalltheresourcesofaplant.Thesummerof1846wasunprecedentedlyhotthroughoutEngland,andallthehorticulturaljournalsunitedinpronouncingthebloomofrosesthatseasonunsurpassedbythebloomofanypreviousyear.Forclimbingrosesthesituationshouldnotbetooexposed,orwheretheywouldbeliabletoencounterheavywinds,whichmightbreakofftheyoungshootsandinotherwaysinjuretheplant.MostofourAmericancitiespossessinthecultureofrosesagreatadvantageoverthelargetownsofEngland,intheuseofanthraciteinsteadofbituminouscoal;for,accordingtoLoudon,theRosewillnotthrive[Pg89]intownswheretheprevailingfuelisofthischaracter,andthebloomwillnotcomparewiththoseproducedsometenmilesdistant.“Thefirsteffectofthesmokeistopreventtheflowerbudsfromopeningfreely,nexttodiminishtheirnumber;theleavesthengraduallybecomesmaller,andthelengthoftheshootsless,afterwhichtheplantweakensbydegrees,andinafewyears,ifastandard,itdiesaltogether,or,ifadwarf,barelyexists,andseldomifeverflowers.”