CH. VII STOCKS 115 



Eose or briar (Bosa canina) of our fields and lanes, 

 and probably three-fourths of the Koses cultivated 

 in this country are now grown upon this stock. It 

 is used in three forms : first, as a standard, which 

 is the actual wild plant dug up from the hedges, 

 with the Rose budded on the lateral branches pro- 

 ceeding from the stem. Secondly, the briar cutting, 

 which is a shoot of the briar struck as a cutting, 

 and budded, after it is well rooted, as low down on 

 the stem as possible. Thirdly, the briar seedling, 

 which is the growth from the seed of the wild Eose, 

 and has the bud inserted on the actual main root 

 or underground stem. 



Next in popularity comes the manetti stock. 

 This is a form of wild Eose, introduced from Italy, 

 some sixty years ago, by the late Mr. Eivers of 

 Sawbridgeworth : it is only used in the form of 

 plants struck from cuttings to make dwarf Eoses. 

 Other sorts of Eoses which root strongly as cuttings 

 have been used as stocks, such as the De la 

 Grifferae, used by some for the Gloire de Dijon race 

 and strong climbing forms of Teas and Noisettes, 

 and the Polyantha, which as a seedling and a 

 cutting has been tried and found wanting ; but at 

 present the stocks that " hold the field " are the three 

 different forms of the briar and the manetti cutting 

 — with the latter much diminished in popularity of 

 late years. 



A large proportion of amateur Eose-growers will, 

 from various causes, be unable or unwilling to pro- 

 pagate their own plants, and so will have to rely 

 upon those they purchase from nurserymen. Even 

 in this case it is desirable that they should know 

 something about the different forms of stocks, so 



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