122 



PARSONS ON THE KOSE. 



in two or three years. Its life can be prolonged by cov- 



erinsf the stem with moss, or with a sort of tin tube. 



pro- 



vided with small holes, to allow the air to enter and cir- 

 culate around the stem. This is, however, some trouble ; 

 and as many will not provide this protection, a large part 

 of the standard roses imported to this country will grad- 

 ually die out, and rose hushes be generally employed for 

 single planting, or for grouping upon the lawn. 



In budding, there are two requisites : a well-established 

 and thriftily growing plant, and a well-matured eye or 

 bud. The operation can be performed at any season when 

 these requisites can be obtained. In th« open ground, the 

 wood from which the buds are cut is generally not mature 

 until after the first summer bloom. 



Having ascertained by running a knife under the bark, 



that the stock will 

 peel easily, and having 

 some perfectly ripe 

 young shoots with 

 buds upon them, the 

 operation can be per- 

 formed with a sharp 

 knife that is round and 

 very thin at the point. 

 Make in the bark of 

 the stock a longitudi- 

 nal incision of three- 

 quarters of an inch, 

 and another short one 

 across the top, as in «, 

 fig. 10; run the knife 

 under the bark and 

 loosen it from the 

 wood; then cut from 

 one of the young shoots of the desired variety, a bud, as 

 in J / placing the knife a quarter to three-eighths of an 



Fig. 10.— BUDDING THE ROSE. 



