104 THE BOOK OF THE ROSE CHAP. 
view to the future outline of the plant, to prune to 
an outlooking bud, and that as a general rule the 
more a shoot is cut back, the longer will be the 
srowth from the bud left at the top. 
After a warm summer most of the young wood 
on a well-pruned and healthy plant will be found 
moderately ripe ; but we occasionally find an extra 
well-ripened shoot, almost as firm and brown as the 
old wood, with large plump buds ready to start 
at the first chance. This is very valuable and 
plenty of space should be allowed for its develop- 
ment, less ripe shoots being removed to make way 
for it. On the other hand, we often find gross late 
unripened shoots, much thicker but greener, with 
a larger proportion of pith. These are comparatively 
useless, and should generally be cleanly removed. 
If a shoot has been injured by frost, and on cutting 
down to an apparently sound bud the pith appears 
brown instead of white, it is evident that the injury 
has gone farther than we supposed, and it will be 
better if possible to cut a little lower. If any shoot 
by its unusual size evidently absorbs a large pro- 
portion of the whole of the sap, it should be, 
according to its ripeness and the condition of the 
rest of the plant, either removed altogether, or 
left a good length and have other weaker shoots 
removed that might hinder its development. 
If a plant is carefully pruned from the beginning 
it seldom presents many difficulties as long as it 
continues in health; but those which have been 
neglected for only one year sometimes require to be 
cut back sufficiently to form an entirely new frame- 
work during the following season. A good deal may 
be done to remedy faults and defects by a careful 
