72 THE BOOK OF THE ROSE CHAP. 
especially in the long strong shoots of the year, 
which if unhurt will produce the best blooms. As a 
standard in the open, where it can be efficiently 
protected (the plant from frost in the winter and the 
blooms from rain in summer), it does not indeed 
afford such a wealth of early flowers as under glass 
or against a wall, but it becomes a true perpetual 
bloomer, and from such plants alone can Roses be 
cut for exhibition. For the best method of protect- 
ing such standards in the open, see Chap. XIL., 
p. 323. 
When briars have been budded with Teas, the 
tiny bud, on which so much depends, is of course in 
danger in hard frost. An old piece of advice from 
Mr. Rivers was to paint it with two or three coats 
of collodion, which forms a white skin: I tried this 
for two years but cannot credit it with protection of 
much value. I strongly recommend for the pyro- 
tection of these Tea buds the little straw covers or 
cases in which wine-merchants send out their 
bottles; there can be little difficulty in obtaining 
these in quantity, as I believe they have no value, 
except for hghting fires. It should be seen that the 
ties are secure, especially that the one at the top is 
tight and sound, and then they form capital night- 
caps, which are, I believe, as good protection as 
could be wished. In the case of dwarfs they are not 
wanted, as the earth or dead leaves can be used to 
cover them: but they are just the thing for standards, 
when the budded lateral is cut back only just short 
enough to allow the cap to pass over, when it is held 
quite sufficiently against the wind. The bud is thus 
actually thatched, and provided with what is practi- 
cally a waterproof as well as a warm covering, 
