CHAPTER XX 



PBOPAOATION 



OF the two principal methods of propagating the rose- 

 namely, budding and by means of cuttings the last- 

 named is by far the easier, and it is the method with which 

 the amateur may experiment with confidence. Whether, taking 

 all things into consideration, it is completely worth his while to 

 undertake the task is an open question. Not a few of the leading 

 rosarians are inclined to scoff at the practice. They point out 

 to use the words of one of them that " the chief drawback to the 

 process is that the greater number of the Hybrid Perpetuals, 

 though they will root and make a certain amount of growth, 

 decline to go beyond a certain point, and ultimately dwindle 

 away. The fact is that budding on briar stocks is not done merely 

 for the fun of the thing ; the vigour of the wild stock is absolutely 

 necessary to most of the garden perpetuals and teas. As an 

 amusement own-root roses are a nice amateur's hobby ; for 

 stocking a garden they are a mere delusion." Now this may be 

 very true, and it may also be true that young rose-trees propagated 

 by florists are so cheap and so thoroughly reliable nowadays that 

 for the expenditure of a few shillings each year the amateur may 

 add to his collection a couple of specimens of the choicest and 

 newest kinds of roses. But the true gardener loves to experiment, 

 and if any of my readers have never yet tried the plan of striking 

 rose-cuttings I should strongly advise them to adopt it. If, as 

 doubtless will be the case, some of the cuttings fail to strike, a 

 few will certainly do so, and among these they may be lucky 

 enough to secure several choice rose-trees that will bloom and 

 give delight for years. 



Cuttings may be taken any time from the beginning of 



