VII STOCKS 117 



appearance of the plants when first put in, this 

 would perhaps be correct, but experience shows that 

 some of the more vigorous Teas do as well on 

 dwarfs as on standard stocks, and that the weaker 

 ones, though they do not seem suited for the 

 position, yet give the best flowers when grown in 

 that form. In fact, the Teas of "moderate" (i.e., 

 weakly) growth do undoubtedly grow much better 

 on standard stocks of medium height, and besides 

 giving better blooms form finer plants than the 

 same varieties when budded on cutting or seedling 

 briars. 



The purchaser should, however, take notice that 

 there are several disadvantages belonging to the 

 standard stock. One of the greatest of these is 

 that every plant must be staked, and with a large 

 number this becomes a serious item, as a gale of 

 wind is sure to break some of the ties and the stakes 

 themselves if they be wooden ones. Standards are 

 also more expensive, and there is often far less 

 choice of really good plants. A great deal of care 

 in graduating the height of the stems is also 

 necessary to make the Eose-bed " look nice," while 

 a good general appearance is much more easily 

 arranged with a bed of dwarfs. 



Standard stocks are only used, I believe, in 

 Europe : the bare stems will not stand very severe 

 winter cold, and appear equally to suffer from 

 extreme summer heat. And this seems to be one 

 of the reasons why some of our finest Exhibition 

 Teas, which do best with us in our hottest 

 summers, are yet not grown to perfection in tropical 

 climates. 



I advise then that the standard form be not 



