120 THE BOOK OP THE ROSE ihaf, 



fascination in the whole operation of budding ; — you 

 have before you rows of strong wild plants, rough 

 and untidy as the worst of hedges, and in one short 

 year you transform these into splendid Eose-plants 

 of all varieties, with noble foliage and glorious 

 flowers of many shades, certainly as good and 

 probably better than any that can be got from 

 bought plants. A due mingling of hopes and fears 

 is essential to true enjoyment, and there is plenty of 

 both in Eose-budding from the planting of the 

 stock to the cutting of the maiden bloom. But 

 when all dangers are passed and over, is not that 

 glorious flower more truly and verily your own? 

 You may see your Eose marked for the Silver Medal 

 at the National Eose Show as the best in its section. 

 Yes ! it is your Eose, even if it was your gardener 

 who ordered, planted, pruned, fed and cultivated the 

 plant, and cut and showed the bloom. But if it was 

 you alone who had found, chosen, and grubbed out 

 the stock from the hedge, or cut, prepared, planted, 

 and transplanted the briar or manetti cutting — if no 

 hand but yours had budded it, cared for it in all 

 stages, and finally cut and shown the Eose, then, 

 when perchance it is declared on all hands to be the 

 finest specimen of the variety ever shown, it must be 

 an additional pleasure to know that it is your Eose 

 indeed, for that, as far as all human aid is concerned, 

 you made it yourself ! 



Or again, you go to see a brother enthusiast, and 

 to admire and take stock of his collection. You 

 see one or more, perhaps several, Eoses which are 

 new to you and you would much like to possess. If 

 you are not a " Buddhist," you can only take down 

 the names, and order a plant or two of each from 



