128 THE BOOK OF THE ROSE CHAP. 
“collar,” that is, the place from which the stem 
springs (generally at an angle) from the root, should 
not be more than an inch or two below the surface. 
No stakes will be needed during the year of wild 
growth and budding, but it is a good plan to put a 
thick smear of paint over the pith exposed at the 
top of the stem. For an insect pest in the spring 
will be on the watch for any such exposed pith, 
even on large shoots pruned back on the Rose itself, 
and the grub which proceeds from its egg bores 
down the pith, leaving a hole which holds the rain- 
water and leads to decay. 
Mr. W. D. Prior, in his useful little book upon 
Rose-growing, suggests the cultivation of standard 
stocks by layering. To do this, any old useless 
stock or briar plant should be cut quite down to the 
ground and encouraged to form side suckers run- 
ning through the soil for a little distance. A nick 
beneath the underground stem of these suckers will 
cause them to root independently, specially if a little 
cocoa fibre be added, and rooted standard stocks will 
be produced. But the time and trouble required 
for all this will not be appreciated where wild stan- 
dard stocks are available. I have collected 1800 of 
these in one winter, but they were not selected 
ones or all of first-class quality. 
I feel, however, that very few amateur Rosarians 
will appreciate with me the charms of getting 
standard stocks from the hedges—most could not, 
from various circumstances, if they would. The 
stock-man, who would probably say that I have 
been trying to take the bread out of his mouth, 
must therefore be relied on, but if possible let the 
barbarity of his tools, the big stock-axe and the bill- 
hook, be pointed out, and the charms of the Grecian 
