STANDARDS OR BUSHES 143 



buds, to induce growth in whatever direction is desirable to occupy 

 vacant space and secure symmetry. Doing these things which are 

 essential to the growth of a decent tree form also ministers to the 

 choice of the best wood to make that tree and the rejection of inferior 

 wood. If that is done one is sure to have the best roses his local con- 

 ditions of soil, climate and moisture supply will allow. 



With the rose in bush form the incitement to this work is much less. 

 The natural bush form gives a very agreeable outline, and the tempta- 

 tion is to let it alone until it becomes a mass of brush, through which 

 new shoots have to push out strongly to get the light. The plant is 

 allowed to carry too many flowers, and as a result they are apt to be 

 light and small. When the resolution is reached that the large plants 

 must be trimmed, it is found almost impossible to reach the interior 

 except by beginning at one side and working straight through, leaving 

 a few good branches of the more recent growth and pulling and cutting 

 out all others. This, of course, restores the bush by starting a fresh 

 growth all through, and it is a good thing to do, but it is such an 

 undertaking for an amateur who does his own work that is apt to be 

 deferred for two or three years too long. 



Is the Standard or Tree-Form Better Than the Bush? It is indis- 

 putable that, with proper pruning, good strong growth of wood and 

 large fine flowers can be had with either form. It has always seemed 

 to us, however, that the standard form was stimulative of better culture, 

 but we have to acknowledge we have as yet reached no final conclu- 

 sion on the matter. We began by growing all roses in bush form. 

 After a few years we changed all strong growing varieties to own-root 

 standards. Later we allowed about half of them to resume bush-form, 

 and as they are nearly all superannuated now we are planning to renew 

 the plantation intending to grow all varieties which will accept the 

 treatment as low standards, just as we do fruit trees. Standards three 

 or four feet above the ground are far less desirable, in our opinion, than 

 those about two feet from the ground. We are, however, quite firm 

 in our belief that, except in the case of a few roses which are notably 

 poor growers on their own roots, the amateur should have his roses 

 on their own roots, whether he grows them in bush or tree form. 

 We have made hundreds of very -satisfactory standards by selecting the 

 best shoots of plants grown at first in bush form, and know that it is 

 feasible to do it in the way which will be described below. It has a 

 safety feature also, because injury to the stem can be speedily nullified 

 by growing a new stem, and if one tires of standard form he can 

 quickly restore the bush form. 



Advantages and Disadvantages of the Standard Form. Many enjoy 

 the neat, clean, tree-like aspect of a rose grown as a standard rather 

 than in bush form, and are not offended by its artificiality. Aside 



