520 GARDENING FOR BEGINNERS 



always handsome. Some make fine heads, others very poor ones. To 

 make Rose standards tall, stout briar stocks have to be obtained, planted, 

 and budded high up the following summer. Orange trees are often 

 grown as standards. 



Stocks. This term, as used in this instance, does not apply to 

 certain perennial flowering plants so well known, but to all descriptions 

 of hard stems and roots used for the propagation or increase of fruit 

 trees, Roses, and many other things. Stocks are not used to impart 

 beauty to Roses or size or flavour to fruits. They are employed because 

 through their agency the respective varieties can not only be rapidly 

 increased, but be perpetuated for many years. Many stocks also exert 

 a certain influence on the Rose or fruit grafted upon them. Roses are 

 budded on to stocks of an allied nature, such as are raised from the 

 British Briar, or from the Manetti. They are obtained by seed, 

 suckers, and cuttings, and when of suitable dimensions and well rooted 

 are used for budding with Roses of many descriptions. In the case of 

 fruits the common Crab or ordinary Apple pips, Pear seeds, Plum 

 stones, Cherry stones are made the means of raising enormous quan- 

 tities of young stocks on which to bud these respective fruits and 

 others, and thousands, one might almost say millions, of Paradise for 

 Apples and Quince for Pears are raised by cuttings and suckers. 



Stove. A glass-house in which the night temperature during 

 winter is maintained at 50 F. to 55 F., and in summer 10 to 20 

 higher. Used for cultivating tropical plants, usually called stove 

 plants. 



Suckers. Many plants have a way of increasing themselves by 

 throwing up shoots or growths from the roots. These are called 

 "suckers," and amongst fruits we have excellent instances in Rasp- 

 berries. Many things will throw up suckers, as, for instance, Wild 

 Rose stocks, or Manetti stocks, on which good Roses have been budded, 

 and these, if not carefully and promptly removed, quickly become a 

 nuisance. Small Nuts and Filberts throw up numerous suckers from 

 the roots if left alone. Things of this character can be propagated by 

 such suckers if they be got out with roots attached. Some Plums and 

 Damsons throw up suckers freely, but these should always be sup- 

 pressed. Whilst suckers are out of place in the case of Gooseberries 

 and Red Currant bushes, they are useful in Black Currants as helping to 

 perpetuate them. 



Thinning. When this takes place, it is often needful to use a 

 small saw, and thus cut out large branches close to a main stem, 

 especially such branches as may be crowded or cross each other. When 

 such thinnings take place the branch should always be cut off close to 

 the main stem, the wound pared over with a knife, and then touched 

 over with Stockholm tar. Such wounds soon heal. There is yet another 

 interpretation of thinning, and that is applied to beds or rows of 

 seedling plants that have come up quickly and need early thinning to 

 promote strong growth. This work is always necessary in the case 

 of Carrots, Onions, Beet, &c., for example. 



