124 THE BOOK OF THE ROSE CHAP. 
has such an advantage over the professional stock- 
getter. It is impossible to do justice to this, the 
very first step in successful Rose cultivation, with a 
spade, a bill-hook, and a full-sized stock axe. It is 
very difficult to strike accurately with the last- 
named tool in a thick place, and many is the fine 
stock that has been grievously injured by a hasty 
MINIATURE Stock AXE. 
stroke turned aside by a twig, and I am sorry to say 
sometimes mended afterwards with putty. I use 
my tiny stock axe almost exclusively for digging 
round the roots, and all of any size are then severed 
neatly and cleanly in the ground with the Grecian 
saw. The sécateurs will clear the way a bit, and 
lop off the head, and the pruning-knife will cut 
off and shorten all bruised roots, and make the 
edges’smooth where the saw has done its work. The 
result will be far better stocks than those gathered 
by professionals, for even Mr. William Paul 
