THE BOOK OP ROSES. 27 



removed, and care taken to prevent others 

 forming; if for a dormant bud, nothing need 

 be touched till the following spring. 



It is now about twenty years since standards, 

 or tree-roses, were introduced into our gardens 

 from France, having been originally created 

 by the Dutch ; but the French are still sup- 

 posed so far to excel in their cultivation, that 

 the importation of stocks from France forms 

 an article of commerce. There is, however, 

 no reason why our gardens should not produce 

 them with equal success. 



OF STOCKS FOR GRAFTING. The best stocks 

 for tree-roses are furnished by the Rosa canina, 

 or dog rose, to be found in all woods and hedges. 

 Should any difficulty occur in procuring it, the 

 rubiginosa, villosa, scabriuscula y heterophylla, 

 or surculosa, answer as well. For some years 

 past, the common Bengal or China rose has 

 been much in use for grafting ; gardeners being 

 of opinion that, flow r ering at all seasons of the 

 year, it promotes circulation in the graft. 



Stocks of the eglantine, or dog rose, should be 

 procured in autumn, towards the month of No- 

 vember, for ordinary soils ; but to be planted in 

 wet ground, the spring is preferable. The most 

 advantageous plants for grafting-stocks, are 

 those two or three years old, about the thick- 

 ness of the thumb, the bark of w^hich is either 

 of a smooth grey, or grey striped with green. 



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