174 ROSES AND ROSE SHOWS. 



develope only a limited number of flowers, and every 

 appliance is resorted to to encourage a strong growth, 

 as such is necessary to get size in the flowers. Mr Prior 

 remarks (p. 244) : " Large plants may be produced, 

 veritable Titans or Tichbornes in bulk, but more pithy 

 than woody, &c." Here lies one of my objections to 

 sale plants which have been grown for prize blooms the 

 quantity of pith in strong shoots is greater relatively than in 

 moderate shoots of Roses, and the wood is less hard and 

 sound. Now what are the consequences ? In the first place 

 these gorged shoots do not ripen sufficiently in our climate, 

 as in the gross shoots of peach trees, and the plants suffer 

 more from frost ; then the state of the roots being equally 

 gross, the shock of removal is greater, and this is a second 

 cause of suffering. To me it is an oft-told tale, and 

 accords entirely with my own experience, that plants with 

 moderate-sized, well-ripened shoots, always thrive best 

 after removal. The "Tichborne" plants of the prize- 

 growers often die, and oftener still produce short feeble 

 growths the first year after removal ; some of these growths 

 die also, while those which live are longer than others 

 in realising the desired end of soundly constituted, well- 

 shaped plants. Let us suppose, which is seldom the 

 case, that the purchaser of such plants has the fine soil, 

 can dig it as deeply, manure it as highly, and water it 

 as constantly as the prize- grower. Even then the violence 

 of the shock these highly-wrought plants receive by 

 removal places him at a disadvantage. But supposing, as 

 is usually the case, that these plants are going into a good 

 ordinary garden, where the soil is only ordinarily good, 

 and where amidst the numerous claims pressing upon the 

 grower's time and consideration they can only receive 

 ordinary care and attention. Why, it is like moving a 

 rich man from his daily table of soup, fish, poultry, meat, 

 &c., to a diet of bread and cheese or cold meat. Men 

 from custom seem to thrive well under both conditions ; 

 but the sudden transition from the one to the other can 



