Vu PROPAGATION 137 
But if roots or shoots are cut off during the sleep 
of winter, no immediate check is given by either to 
the other, and the first thing the plant does when it 
wakes up in the spring is to try to restore the 
balance. If it finds itself with a large growth above 
ground and roots that have been lessened, the plant 
will comparatively stand still just alive till the roots 
have grown up to the balance again. If, however, 
it finds itself with strong powerful roots, and only 
two or three buds left on the plant into which the 
sap can pass, it makes up the balance as quickly as it 
can by unusually strong growth and large fleshy 
leaves. 
This is what we aim at in trying to make a 
maiden Rose plant by budding on the wild stock. 
We want it to grow as strongly and quickly as pos- 
sible, for among H.P.s the very finest blooms are thus 
produced, and some very choice varieties give their 
best flowers only during this first year of extra 
strong growth. We therefore bud on wild briars 
which have as many branches as possible—knowing 
that each branch represents so much root power 
below—that if one of these be removed the roots 
will cease to increase till the balance has been 
restored—and that if we can next spring divert the 
root power of many wild branches to the one or two 
buds we have inserted, the growth is sure to be 
extra strong and fine. 
This principle is well known in the difference 
resulting from the summer and winter pruning of 
fruit-trees. If we pinch back the strong leafy 
shoots in summer, next year’s growth is partially 
checked because the roots suffer awhile in pro- 
portion: the lower wood buds therefore ripen and 
