must be done
in the forenoon, to allow them to dry before any chance of a chill
during the night.

In the case of standards, large bushy plants, or pillar roses, a stake
should be put against them before the hole is filled with earth. This is
far the most satisfactory plan, as it avoids the chance of bruising or
breaking the roots if the stake is forced in among them after planting.
And, as I have said, the more fine fibrous roots the plant can throw,
the better the flowers it will bring.

Tarred twine, or Raffia tape, are the best materials for tying standard
and pillar roses. The twine should be given a double twist round the
stake and then tied firmly round the stem, but not too tight, so as to
allow room for the stem or branch to swell.

Under no circumstances must wire be used.

In the case of roses taken out of pots, the question of spreading the
roots is one of the utmost importance; as, if they have been long in a
pot the roots are interlaced in a perfect ball, and need most careful
handling to avoid breaking them.

When all are safely in place, the tickets must be taken off and replaced
by labels stuck in the ground beside each plant.[2] Many roses,
especially from abroad, come with labels fastened on with wire. These
should be removed without delay; for the moment the shoots begin to
swell the wire eats into them, and in the course of a few months will
either kill the shoot or break it. This is a most important matter. And
I have had sad experience in it; as owing to carelessness and hurry in
planting a number of extremely good French roses, I overlooked some of
the wired labels. Eight months later, half--and the larger half--of a
fine plant in full flower of the dwarf Polyantha, _Perle des Rouges_,
was broken off on a windy day; and on examination I found that the stem
had swelled to such a size round the corroding wire, that the weight it
was bearing of foliage, flowers, and branches had broken it clean off.
Even a label tied on with a string is injurious, from the constant
chafing of the bark as the wind blows it to and fro and tightens the
knot.

Our heavy task being now accomplished, we can await the rigours of
winter cheerfully. But let no one persuade us that the newly planted
beds would look better if raked smooth instead of being left quite
rough. A smooth rose bed means that the soil cakes hard, preventing the
rain penetrating in summer, and the frost mellowing the ground in
winter. And from