IMPROVEMENT OF ROSES BY BUD SELECTION. 99 



But, strange as it may seem, there is no apparent cumulative effect from 

 the selection of cuttings from flowering wood plants. Neither is there any 

 marked degradation from the continuous use of blind wood. True, there is a 

 constant falling off in the average number of flowers produced per plant from 

 the first season to the close of the experiment, but the result is not more 

 marked in the case of the blind wood plants than with the flowering wood 

 plants. 



The following table, which summarizes the results for the five years, is 

 of interest in that it shows but a single departure from the rule that flowering 

 wood produces plants which are more floriferous than those grown from 

 blind wood : 



AVERAGE NUMBER FLOWERS PER PLANT FOR SEASON — DEC. 1 TO MAY 31, INC. 



Bride Bride Brides- Brides- 



Year. (Blind) (Flower) maid (B) maid (F) 



1897-98 1.88 19.84 19 28.0-2 



1898-99 8.66 16.86 14.87 17.5 



1899-00 12.66 1.0.66 7.62 12.22 



1900-01 12.21 27.87 13.8 15.25 



1901-02 5.71 7.75 6.12 11.33 



Average for 5 years 8.26 16.59 12.29 16.98 



This is seen in the case of the blind wood plants of Bride grown during 

 the forcing season of 1899 and 1900, in which year this particular lot of plants 

 produced an average of two blooms per plant more than did the flowering 

 plants of the same variety. The table is of interest also in showing the ratio 

 of the flowering wood plants to the blind wood plants based on the average 

 number of flowers produced per plant during the season. In the case of 

 Bride the blind plants averaged 8.26 blooms per plant, while the flowering 

 plants produced 16.59 blooms per plant, or a little more than twice as many. 

 In the case of Bridesmaid, the difference is very decided, but not so great as 

 with Bride. Bridesmaid blind produces an average of 12.29 blooms per plant, 

 while the "flowering wood" plants of the same variety produced 16.98, or one 

 and one-third times as many as the blind wood plants. 



COMPARISON OF FIRST AND SECOND YEAR PLANTS. 



In the course of these observations a cultural problem of some moment 

 presented itself, and as it could be brought under observation without de- 

 ranging ihe observations on the production of bloom from blind and flowering 

 wood plants, the experiments were planned to admit of retaining a number 

 of plants upon the benches a second season in order to compare their flower- 

 producing power with plants grown from cuttings and placed on the benches 

 in July for the succeeding Winter's flower supply. Accordingly 14 blind and 8 

 flowering wood Bride, with 10 blind and 12 flowering wood Bridesmaid plants 

 were retained on the middle bench of the house used continuously in this 

 test. These plants were severely pruned in August, after having been kept 

 quite dry and inactive during July. After pruning at least one-half of the 

 soil of the bench was replaced by fresh compost. The earth was removed 

 from on top the roots and between the plants and replaced with fresh earth. 

 After this treatment they were slowly started into growth and the record of 



