VI PRUNING 103 
the rule is nevertheless in strict accordance with the 
law of nature—Darwin’s survival of the fittest—and 
the law of God, ‘‘ Whosoever hath, to him shall be 
given.” I have elsewhere (p. 84) endeavoured to 
show that the same rule applies in Rose-growing to 
the application of liquid manure to strong and 
weakly plants, and to the number of each variety 
which should be grown by those who are not 
exhibitors. 
A wise editor used to give as his advice to young 
authors in whom he had confidence, ‘‘ Don’t argue— 
lay down the law’; and the counsel of a judge to 
judges of all sorts to give their sentences without 
their reasons is well known as pointing out the 
most useful and prudent course to pursue. But the 
reason for the above rule in pruning seems so clear 
that I think it should be added. In proportion as a 
plant is strong in growth, from the natural habit of 
the variety or in a less degree from the condition of 
the individual, leave more buds, to perhaps six as a 
maximum, on each shoot; because the strong grower 
has the capability of supplying several buds on each 
shoot with a sufficiency of sap for good blooms, and 
if a due number be not allowed, the shoots will 
either run to wood without flower or produce coarse 
and ill-shaped blooms. And in proportion as a 
variety or plant is weakly in growth, fewer buds 
should be left ; because the weak grower has only 
sufficient strength to supply sap to one or two buds 
on each shoot, and if more are left the power will 
not be sufficiently concentrated to form good blooms. 
The general habit of the variety should therefore be 
well borne in mind in determining how many buds 
to leave on each shoot; remembering always, with a 
