Trees, Shrubs, and Woody Climbers 43 



air the following summer. The soil is drawn up in ridges round the 

 base of the stocks. The soil, however, is removed prior to budding, and 

 the basal portion of the stems, having been surrounded with the moist 

 soil, are much more easily " worked" than those that have been left 

 exposed to the weather during the season. 



For standard and half - standard Roses the Brier stock is always 

 used, and stems as clean and straight as possible are selected for the 

 purpose. Half -standards are about 3 ft. high; and standards vary from 

 6 to 9 ft. or more high, the tallest stems being used for the budding of 

 weeping varieties with long shoots, such as the Dorothy 

 Perkins class and others. The stocks are planted in 

 October and November about 1 ft. apart in rows about 

 2 ft. apart, and to prevent them being blown over by 

 the wind they are often strung together with twine for 

 mutual support. These standard and half-standard stocks 

 rarely have any fibrous roots attached. They are there- 

 fore planted deeply and firmly, and by the following 

 July one or two of the best shoots near the heads are 

 reserved for the insertion of the buds. 



BUDDING ROSES. In the open air this may be done 

 from the end of July rp to the end of September almost 



the later date being preferable 

 after a hot and rainless summer. 

 Expert budders know exactly 

 the best buds to select from the 

 shoot of any particular variety, 

 avoiding naturally those that are 

 too young and sappy, or too old 

 and already beginning to sprout, 

 as shown in fig. 442 at a. Con- 

 sequently the most likely buds 

 are generally obtainable from 

 the centre of the ripened shoot 

 of the current year's growth. 

 The method of budding usually practised is that known as "T-bud- 

 ding" or "shield-budding". This is shown in the annexed diagram, 

 fig. 437, in which A represents the stock and B, B the bud with a shield- 

 like piece of bark attached. The shoot is held upside down in the left 

 hand, and after the leaves have been removed, with the exception of a 

 small piece of the stalk, as shown in fig. 436, a, 6, the bud is cut out 

 and temporarily placed between the lips. A transverse slit is then 

 made in the stock A, as shown at a, with the budding knife (specimens 

 of which are shown in fig. 438), and a vertical cut about 1 in. long is 

 made upwards to meet it as shown at 6, this forming the letter T, from 

 which the name arises. The bud B, which has had its tail of bark 

 cut across straight as shown at e, is then inserted at a and pushed down 



Fig. 437. Shield-budding or 

 T-budding 



Fig. 438.-Budding 

 Knives 



