So the grower must decide according to his
situation and soil what varieties to grow, remembering that the Teas are
liable to suffer from severe frost.

I make my beds three feet deep and three feet wide,[11] allowing for two
rows of roses, and a grass path about thirty inches wide between the
beds, grass being more sightly than gravel, and pleasanter to walk on.
The beds, if the soil is heavy, will be all the better for being raised
a little above the level of the paths; the roots do not like stagnant
water. The beds should be prepared in the autumn, a few weeks before the
end of October, that the soil may settle. The manure should be below the
roots, not touching them; the roots will find it, and it is better for
them to go down, than to come to the surface and suffer if the season be
dry. A good sprinkling of bone meal spread over the top soil before
planting (with a dusting of basic slag, three to four ounces per square
yard) will be all that is necessary at this time. Covering the beds with
manure in the winter is not recommended; and digging, or even turning it
in, in the spring, is not advisable, however carefully it is done, as
some of the roots must suffer, and, besides, manure does not protect the
roots. The beds should never be disturbed more than the depth that a hoe
will do it. The beds for H. Ts. and Teas should be prepared in the same
way. Beds wide enough for two rows are more easily managed than wider
ones, there being no need to tread on the soil when attending to the
plants, and they can be more easily hoed.

When selecting varieties, consult an expert, or better still, if you are
not a subscriber to the N. R. S. (and this all rosarians should be), get
a copy of the N. R. S. official catalogue of Roses, which can be
obtained by non-members through a member, price 2_s._ 6_d._ This will
give you all the information desired. A list of good roses for
exhibition is given at the end of this chapter. It is advisable to order
the plants early, as nurserymen execute orders in the order in which
they are received, and planting should be done during the end of October
and November; if not done then it must be deferred till February or
March.

The distance of plants from each other depends a good deal upon the
varieties. Strong growers should be planted wider apart than small
growers; one foot apart is about the usual distance in the rows.

There are some varieties like _A. K. Williams_, _Mrs. W. J. Grant_, an