PROPAGATION. 8a 



buds to the top or bottom. These form the best trees, 

 and are generally the best flower-buds, although, of 

 course, a little depends upon the variety, and also the 

 state of the wood when buds are sought. Beggars 

 cannot be choosers, and often we have to be content 

 with whatever buds we can get off a tree. After 

 flowering, some varieties, like ** La France," soon 

 push out side shoots, and buds are hard to get without 

 cutting away too much wood. Nevertheless, every- 

 thing depends upon the bud selected, and also the very 

 branch from which it is taken, to say nothing of the 

 quality of the tree itself. I write very strongly upon 

 this point, because the trade are far too careless over 

 selection, and feeble wood and poor flowers are in- 

 creased and perpetuated owing to lack of oversight 

 and contentment with smaller profits. For instance^ a 

 new Rose is brought out, and the raiser or introducer, 

 and ofttimes the whole trade, to meet public demand, 

 propagates from every eye, and forces on a stock 25 

 per cent, of which, if they had their way as Rosarians, 

 they would scrap. If you want to improve a Rose 

 you must make selection ; the best tree, and even the 

 branch that carries the best flower, and then the best 

 buds which lie from the middle to the base of the shoot 

 selected. I do not wish to labour the point, but so 

 vital is it to the production of good Roses that I would 

 illustrate my remarks with the most convincing proof. 

 Take a Rose that sports, as, for instance, Catherine 

 Mermet, which gave us in 1885 "The Bride," and in 1893 

 ** Bridesmaid" or Dorothy Perkins, which gave us in 

 1908 "White Dorothy." The eye or bud that pro- 

 duced that particular flower was the only one on the 

 branch to sport, but all eyes matured from the 

 branch it produced maintained the €port. Now 

 take that glorious White Rose, " Frau Karl 

 Druschki," introduced in 1900. I remember 

 when it was first sent out that you could 

 hardly rely on it for the show box, owing to its lack 

 of stamina. A hot day, and it not only opened too 

 fast, but the petals actually flopped, as if they lacked 

 rib and substance. But to-day it is one of the finest 



