72 THE BOOK OF THE ROSE chap. 



especially in the long strong shoots of the year, 

 which if unhurt will produce the best blooms. As a 

 standard in the open, where it can be efficiently 

 protected (the plant from frost in the winter and the 

 blooms from rain in summer), it does not indeed 

 afford such a wealth of early flowers as under glass 

 or against a wall, but it becomes a true perpetual 

 bloomer, and from such plants alone can Roses be 

 cut for exhibition. For the best method of protect- 

 ing such standards in the open, see Chap. XII., 

 p. 323. 



When briars have been budded with Teas, the 

 tiny bud, on which so much depends, is of course in 

 danger in hard frost. An old piece of advice from 

 Mr. Rivers was to paint it with two or three coats 

 of collodion, which forms a white skin : I tried this 

 for two years but cannot credit it with protection of 

 much value. I strongly recommend for the pro- 

 tection of these Tea buds the little straw covers or 

 cases in which wine-merchants send out their 

 bottles ; there can be little difficulty in obtaining 

 these in quantity, as I believe they have no value, 

 except for lighting fires. It should be seen that the 

 ties are secure, especially that the one at the top is 

 tight and sound, and then they form capital night- 

 caps, which are, I believe, as good protection as 

 could be wished. In the case of dwarfs they are not 

 wanted, as the earth or dead leaves can be used to 

 cover them : but they are just the thing for standards, 

 when the budded lateral is cut back only just short 

 enough to allow the cap to pass over, when it is held 

 quite sufficiently against the wind. The bud is thus 

 actually thatched, and provided with what is practi- 

 cally a waterproof as well as a warm covering, 



