IMPORTANT FLORISTS' PLANTS 171 



"If so, loosen the raffia, and in a few weeks cut with the budding 

 knife, passing it over the raffia on the opposite to the bud, leaving it 

 to fall away. If the raffia is tied too tight and allowed to stay too long 

 it will kill the bud. The bud should remain dormant until Spring 



"When pruning in November, cut the shoot away three inches 

 above the bud When the bud starts growing in the Spring cut back 

 close, as illustrated in fig. 10. The following season, when pruning, 

 cut back to two buds. (Fig. 12). 



Root cuttings. The fleshy rooted sorts, as R. gallica, especially the 

 Moss Roses, R. damascena, R. nitida, R. rugosa, R. blanda, R. lucida, 

 R. cinnamomea and R. alpina, may be propagated by root cuttings. 

 Gut up the roots in Autumn and store in sand. Plant out in Spring. 



Layers. Dr. Mulford,* writes that R. Hugonis is difficult to grow 

 from cuttings and is therefore grown by layers. Let them get thor- 

 oughly rooted before cutting them from parent plant. Mound layers 

 are best. 



For many of the trailing roses, like R. Wichuraiana, continuous 

 layers are useful For that matter, all climbing sorts are readily prop- 

 agated by this method. The rooting is greatly hastened by cutting 

 into the portion of the stem that is buried. 



Trenching method. A modification of layering is described by G. 

 D. Beadle, f Superintendent of the Biltmore Estate. Many of the 

 Briar Roses (like Persian Yellow, Austrian Copper, Penzance Sweet 

 Briars), Damask Roses (including the two-color and striped Roses), 

 and many other types are readily propagated by the trenching process. 

 The plants of the varieties to be propagated are planted out in nursery 

 rows in an almost flat position leaning one against another. The 

 plants are then almost covered with soil on which more may be grad- 

 ually filled in as the shoots advance in growth. At the close of the 

 first growing season, the trenched plants are dug and the vertical 

 shoots are cut from the horizontal branches at then* base. Many of 

 the shoots will have rooted, but this is not necessary. The shoots will, 

 however, be covered with "root-bark," a tissue differing from that of 

 the shoots above the soil. The cuttings, rooted or unrooted, as the 

 case may be, are planted in nursery rows, or in cutting beds, and grown 

 on for several seasons. 



Seedling inarch. (For discussion of a method of getting seedlings 

 to bloom quickly see page 129, also see figs. 75-77). 



RAPID PROPAGATION OF NEW VARIETIES 



The following notes are from Mr. G. W. Oliver: 



"When, as a result of crossing two varieties, a good seedling is 

 secured and tested, the next problem that presents itself is to get up 

 a large stock in as short a period as possible so that it can be put on 

 the market. There are various ways to accomplish this result, but 

 there is only one way to get the maximum number of plants so that 

 cuttings can be rooted for distribution. What is, needed is a very 

 quick vegetating stock. The Manetti is too slow for this purpose 

 and it cannot very well be used in Whiter. There is a variety intro- 



* Mulford, F. L. Roses for the Home. Farmers' Bulletin, 750, p. 27. 

 t Beadle, C. D. The Trenching Method of Rose Propagation. American Rose Annual , 

 1917, 2d ed., p. 51. 



