126 THE BOOK OF THE ROSE CHAP. 
of the sufferings of my poor coat, I carry home 
rejoicing. Sometimes it may be more convenient 
to reserve till reaching home the work of the prun- 
ing knife, in shortening bruised roots, smoothing 
saw cuts, shaving off suckers, and carefully cutting 
out all semblances of buds below the ground 
surface. 
In selecting standard stems, if there is plenty of 
choice, take only two-year-old shoots; next three- 
year-old, leaving one-year-old shoots for next year, 
and avoiding old stems, unless you are very hard up. 
I have seen a great many stocks in nurserymen’s 
quarters that I should never take unless I was very 
short—old, spotted and cankered. For itis instruc- 
tive to notice that canker may certainly be found on 
the wild Rose, in its natural state, even where there 
seems to have been no outward injury to the stem. 
It is true that some of the grey hidebound old stocks 
will make very good growth when cut back and 
transplanted, but some will not, and you never can 
tell where they will break. A sharp frost, after they 
are moved, would be fatal to most one-year-old 
stems, which are too soft and pithy to stand the 
ordeal of transplanting. 
There are a great many varieties of the Dog-Rose, 
and a great difference will soon be noticed in the 
general appearance of the stems. It used to be said 
that the red-barked, very thorny, variety is the best, 
and perhaps this is true, but I have formed fine 
plants on smooth stems. I should not generally 
choose the water briar with its deep green bark, and 
running slender growth almost like the Ayrshire, 
but I have grown good Teas upon it. The sweet 
briar does not form a good stock, though, as I have 
