IOC THE BOOK OP THE ROSE chap. 



even the second if the growth is not satisfactory, and 

 when the shoots reach the ground they should be 

 thinned if too many and tied to some supports the 

 proper distance apart. The pruning will afterwards 

 consist of spurring back the blossoming laterals, or 

 occasionally taking clean out a weakly branch and 

 allowing another to fall down in its place. 



Pruning for exhibition purposes is often quite a 

 different matter from pruning for decoration or dis- 

 play. The object in this case is to get the finest pos- 

 sible blooms, and to attain this end the exhibitor will 

 not care very much about the shape of his plants. If 

 number be required, then the plants must be multi- 

 plied, as but few show flowers can be expected from 

 each. Pruning in this case loses most of its art ; 

 only the strongest shoots will be retained, and these 

 will be cut back very closely to two or three buds, 

 while with weak growers in some cases not more than 

 one bud of new wood will be retained. This is a 

 rule, however, which even among the H.P.s has 

 several exceptions, which will be found noted in 

 Chap. XII. 



The further revision of the pushing buds and 

 young shoots, at the end of April or early in May, 

 will for exhibitors be an important matter, requiring 

 much care and foresight. A good knowledge of the 

 habit of growth and of the " manners and customs " 

 of the different varieties will be necessary to know 

 how many shoots should be retained, and an extra 

 strong one however ill placed will be pardoned 

 among the weaker varieties. If injured by frost or 

 grubs it must be decided as early as possible whether 

 the damage is serious enough to warrant the removal 

 of the whole shoot. In some cases the severe 



