STOCKS. 69 



growers plant at two inches, but I plant nearer three,. 

 and remove a little soil at budding time. I find the 

 trees do better, and in dry weather you are less likely 

 to lose your trees; also, the sap runs freely just when 

 you require it in one of our dryest months. See to it 

 that the roots of your stocks are well spread out in all 

 directions, for as you plant so will you lift, and the 

 next shift will be the maiden tree, well rooted and all 

 that should be desired for the Rose garden. 



Manetti cuttings are treated in the same way as briar 

 cuttings, and they are far more generous in taking, the 

 percentage of failures being considerably lower. This- 

 stock is much used in America for Roses grown under 

 glass, and it is a curious fact that nearly all their 

 supply of Manetti stocks are grown in this country and 

 in France. The British supply is deemed the best, by 

 reason of more careful growing and grading. As a 

 stock for Roses the Manetti is hard to beat ; but,, 

 although very vigorous the first and second year, it 

 soon goes back, and the life of a Rose budded or 

 grafted on it is shorter than when the briar stock \s 

 used. For maiden trees it is hard to equal, and some 

 of our best exhibition Roses are secured from varieties, 

 grown upon it, more especially among the H.P.s. Per- 

 sonally, I have always favoured the Manetti for H.P. 

 Roses, and also many of the H.T.s, but Tea Roses- 

 undoubtedly prefer the briar. 



I am a great believer in the briar seedling for 

 nearly all classes of Roses when grown on light, dry 

 soils. Many growers object to its habit of deep root- 

 ing, but I cannot agree that this in any way detracts 

 from its value, for it is usually well supplied with sur- 

 face roots in addition to tap roots, and, as I have con- 

 tended elsewhere, tap roots have their value. 



Many climbing Roses certainly not only do better 

 on the seedling briar, but live longer, and this, I main- 

 tain, is due to deep rooting. 



As soon as the hips are ripe in the hedges, and 

 before the birds get them or they fall, they should be 



