128 THE BOOK OF THE ROSE chap. 



" collar," that is, the place 'from which the stem 

 springs (generally at an angle) from the root, should 

 not be more than an inch or two below the surface. 

 No stakes will be needed during the year of wild 

 growth and budding, but it is a good plan to put a 

 thick smear of paint over the pith exposed at the 

 top of the stem. For an insect pest in the spring 

 will be on the watch for any such exposed pith, 

 even on large shoots pruned back on the Eose itself, 

 and the grub which proceeds from its egg bores 

 down the pith, leaving a hole which holds the rain- 

 water and leads to decay. 



Mr. W. D. Prior, in his useful little book upon 

 Eose-growing, suggests the cultivation of standard 

 stocks by layering. To do this, any old useless 

 stock or briar plant should be cut quite down to the 

 ground and encouraged to form side suckers run- 

 ning through the soil for a little distance. A nick 

 beneath the underground stem of these suckers will 

 cause them to root independently, specially if a little 

 cocoa fibre be added, and rooted standard stocks will 

 be produced. But the time and trouble required 

 for all this will not be appreciated where wild stan- 

 dard stocks are available. I have collected 1800 of 

 these in one winter, but they were not selected 

 ones or all of first-class quality. 



I feel, however, that very few amateur Eosarians 

 will appreciate with me the charms of getting 

 standard stocks from the hedges — most could not, 

 from various circumstances, if they would. The 

 stock-man, who would probably say that I have 

 been trying to take the bread out of his mouth, 

 must therefore be relied on, but if possible let the 

 barbarity of his tools, the big stock-axe and the bill- 

 hook, be pointed out, and the charms of the Grecian 



