PROPAGATION BY BUDDING. 173 



stock, which may be budded till the end of Sep- 

 tember, and even later. If the stock to be budded 

 be in a flourishing vigorous state of growth, shoots 

 two or even three years old are quite as eligible 

 for budding as shoots of the current year, which 

 are so generally recommended. 



In about thirty days after budding the ligatures 

 may be loosened, and in a week after be removed ; 

 but the former operation is scarcely necessary, for 

 at the end of thirty days the practice is here to 

 remove the ligatures entirely, and not a bud in 

 twenty ever fails. In the month of November, 

 not earlier, all the branches not budded must be 

 cut off from the stock cleanly, with a sharp knife, 

 and the budded shoots shortened to within two or 

 three buds of the inserted bud ; this is often done 

 too early in autumn, or even in summer, which 

 weakens the stock and prevents the vigorous 

 growth of the bud the following season. The 

 stocks will require no farther care till May ; and 

 then weekly attention is necessary, for all the 

 numerous young shoots in the stock below the 

 bud must be carefully removed ; but the two or 

 three shoots above the bud must not be cut off, 

 but suffered to grow four or five inches, and then 

 have their tops pinched off; they will again break 

 forth, and must again and again be pinched, till 

 the middle of June, and then removed. This 

 management of budded roses is applicable to 

 standards of all heights as well as dwarfs. 



