84 ON THE CULTIVATION OF THE ROSE. 



practised in forming standards are these : — transplant strong, clean, 

 straight stocks, as just mentioned; cut them over at a height to suit 

 your taste— say from three to six feet; and cover the wounds with a 

 cement, — directions for making which will ensue. In the spring, 

 when they begin to shoot out, rub off all buds but three or four at the 

 top, so situated as to promise an uniform head. Carefully pinch off 

 fresh buds, and remove suckers as soon as they appear. 



In the progress of the summer the stocks will require to be staked, 

 and demand continued attention to the disbudding of them and the 

 regulation of their shoots, particularly in occasionally pinching off the 

 tops of the latter to promote strength and thickness, rather than 

 length of growth. Early in July displace the thorns in those parts of 

 the young wood where it is designed to make incisions for the buds. 

 Budding on the wood of the same year's growth is recommended, 

 because, by putting three or four buds on as many young shoots, a 

 handsome head will be obtained sooner than by any other mode. But 

 if these shoots are too slender, the operation may be performed in the 

 old wood when the bark peels freely. In this case three or four buds 

 may be put in different positions round the upper eight or ten inches 

 of the stock; or, if two only are inserted, they should be placed on 

 opposite sides. 



The criterion for judging the proper time for summer budding 

 almost any kind of tree or shrub, and which proves nearly unerring, 

 is this : — when the bud at the extremity of the same year's shoot is 

 just formed, that scion of buds is then in a fit state for use. With 

 respect to Roses, however, experience has convinced me that their 

 summer budding should not be commenced before August, although 

 tolerable success may attend the execution of it in July. But worked 

 thus early, a portion of the buds will commence growing the same 

 season, at a period when it is too late to ripen their wood sufficiently 

 before the commencement of frosts ; and the usual result is, that some 

 are injured, and others entirely killed in severe weather; whereas the 

 buds inserted in August generally remain dormant until the following 

 spring, when they push forth with unimpaired strength. 



In arid situations, or in dry summers, watering the stocks copiously 

 for two or three weeks previous to working them, will give strength to 

 their shoots, and ensure the bark rising freely ; which latter point, as 

 stated before, is very essential towards obtaining complete success. It 



