190 THE BOOK OF THE ROSE chap. 



shoots are young and they will "grow out " of the 

 injury, just as a child will from a severe wound or 

 accident. Those that are stopped, and commence 

 growth again from the side buds, are not likely to 

 produce exhibition blooms that year ; but it is better 

 to let the top bud grow and pinch out all the others, if 

 most of the shoots on the plant are in the same con- 

 dition, than to cut them all away or severely back, 

 as that must involve a severe check to the roots and 

 the strength of the plant. 



I am sure it is a mistake to cut away the shoots in 



a hurry before fresh growth has shown how far the 



injury has extended. It is better to put up with 



browned and maimed foliage for a while than to risk 



destroying a shoot that may yet recover. It is 



always sad to suffer from not having "let well 



alone." A friend of mine had a fine Wellingtonia, 



of which he was justly proud, growing near his 



house. One year, to his disgust, he found that it 



had developed two leaders ; he naturally wished to 



cut one of them away, but the tree was very tall, 



and too pliable and slender at the top to bear the 



weight of a ladder. He was (and is) a capital shot 



with rifle or gun ; and having an air-gun that threw 



a bullet accurately, he determined to try to cut off 



the offending shoot with it. He rested his weapon 



on the sill of an upper window, took a very careful 



aim, and with the first shot succeeded in doing what 



he wanted — the false leader was cut off. Much 



pleased, he now noticed there was another shoot that 



had somewhat of an upward tendency, and would be 



better removed — he fired at that, with perhaps less 



care than before, and by a cruel mischance actually 



cut off the sole remaining leader ! 



