106 THE BOOK OF THE ROSE CHAP. 
even the second if the growth is not satisfactory, and 
when the shoots reach the ground they should be 
thinned if too many and tied to some supports the 
proper distance apart. The pruning will afterwards 
consist of spurring back the blossoming laterals, or 
occasionally taking clean out a weakly branch and 
allowing another to fall down in its place. 
Pruning for exhibition purposes is often quite a 
different matter from pruning for decoration or dis- 
play. The object in this case is to get the finest pos- 
sible blooms, and to attain this end the exhibitor will 
not care very much about the shape of his plants. If 
number be required, then the plants must be multi- 
plied, as but few show flowers can be expected from 
each. Pruning in this case loses most of its art; 
only the strongest shoots will be retained, and these 
will be cut back very closely to two or three buds, 
while with weak growers in some cases not more than 
one bud of new wood will be retained. This is a 
rule, however, which even among the H.P.s has 
several exceptions, which will be found noted in 
Chap. XII. 
The further revision of the pushing buds and 
young shoots, at the end of April or early in May, 
will for exhibitors be an important matter, requiring 
much care and foresight. A good knowledge of the 
habit of growth and of the ‘‘ manners and customs ” 
of the different varieties will be necessary to know 
how many shoots should be retained, and an extra 
strong one however ill placed will be pardoned 
among the weaker varieties. If injured by frost or 
srubs it must be decided as early as possible whether 
the damage is serious enough to warrant the removal 
of the whole shoot. In some cases the severe 
