136 ON THE GRAFTING THE ROSE. 



November being the best month calculated for that purpose. When 

 your preparations are made, nothing more is necessary than to 

 send to the nearest wood-man and desire him to make a collec- 

 tion for you, either from the woods, or save you a supply when 

 he grubs up a hedge. 



The largest stocks are those which have an oval fruit, they 

 are called, indiscriminately, dog roses, buckbriars, and hang- 

 berries. Different roses want different stocks. A tree that of 

 itself would make a yard of wood in a season, is confined and 

 injured in its operations, by having, perhaps, a single bud 

 upon it of some rare and delicate kind of rose, which makes 

 but feeble and delicate shoots. Again, if a free growing bud, 

 such as the Noisette, Greville, &c. were put upon a small stock, 

 the bud would entirely drink up the sap of the stock, and instead 

 of a fine bushy head, would either grow in one long shoot, or, at 

 all events, make a small and mean head, in comparison to what 

 it would have done upon a larger stem. Choose, therefore, about 

 a third more stocks than you absolutely want, and let the others 

 be laid in the ground as a reserve, you will find them service- 

 able at some future period. 



The stocks are to be kept a short time out of the ground, as 

 the air injures the root. This is very important, as the expected 

 shoots depend upon it: but if they have been weakened by lying 

 out of the ground, they regain a portion of their strength by 

 being much shortened in the stem, for the roots of all trees are 

 proportioned to the stem they have to maintain, it is therefore 

 evident that an injury to the one must also injure the other. 



If you are desirous to keep your stocks some time before 

 planting, they must, like all other trees, have their roots cover- 

 ed with mould, otherwise it will retard the future growth of the 

 plant. When stocks are sent any distance, a puddle of clay and 

 water should be made, and the stocks dipped in it, so as to 

 form a coating to defend them from the wind ; and then, being 

 packed up in an old bas mat, they will carry without injury. 



The trimming of the stocks ought to be carefully attended to, 

 both as regards the mode and requisite height. Four feet, three 

 feet, two feet six inches, two feet, one foot six inches, and one 

 foot, are the heights most likely to succeed. Should any of your 

 numerous readers derive any benefit from the above sketch, it 

 will give great pleasure to ( Pomona. 



