240 PRACTICAL GARDENING. 



rail from stake to stake, to tie all the briers firmly to, so as to 

 stand against the wind, Tvill be sufficient. As these briers 

 grow, all but the top two or three shoots should be rubbed of^ 

 that all the strength may go into the useful bunches. These 

 briers require frequent examination, to cut away all extra 

 shoots, which they would be constantly pushing out all the sea- 

 son. In July they will be ready to bud, which however will 

 be easily ascertained by cutting a slit in the bark and trying 

 whether it runs well, — that is, if it is easily lifted from the 

 wood. Then the buds should be sought; those on well- 

 grown shoots of the favourite rose, where the leaves are fully 

 grown, are the only ones that should be used. With a very 

 sharp budding-knife, a slit should be made an inch and a 

 quarter long just through the bark to the wood, within a very- 

 short distance of the bottom of the brier shoot, and on the 

 upper side ; a cross cut should then be made three-quarters 

 of an inch from the bottom of the slit, and with the thin 

 handle of the budding-knife the bark should be lifted a little 

 both sides all along the slit ; then, with the budding-knife, 

 which is kept very sharp, the leaf should be shaved off, be- 

 ginning half an inch below the leaf with a sort of diving 

 cut, which would make the piece thickest just by the leaf, 

 and the knife should come out again half an inch above the 

 leaf. It win be found that with the bark there has also come 

 a small piece of the solid wood : by holding the leaf between 

 the thumb and finger of the left hand, and lifting the wood 

 at the end that grows upwards with the point of the knife, it 

 can be held by the knife and the thumb and be drawn out. 

 The bark with the bud and leaf can be then carefully tucked 

 under the bark at the cross mark and be pushed down to the 

 bottom of the slit, wliich will open to let the stem of the leaf 

 pass just below the cross cut, while that part of the piece of 

 bark which is beyond the cross cut, can be cut off there, or 

 else tucked under the bark that is above the cross cut, the 

 bark of the stock being folded over and tied down upon the 

 bark of the bud which will be thus circled, with a piece of 

 bass matting, or worsted, wliich seems to be the favourite tie 

 now. The shoots of the stock may now be shortened to the 

 lowest side shoot, to check the too heavy di^aw upon the sap 

 of the stock. Whether one, two, or three shoots are budded, 

 and whether all with the same rose or different ones, is a 

 matter of taste ; but the operation with each and aU is precisely 

 the same, and so it is aU through the rows. 



