216 THE BOOK OP THE ROSE chap. 



of the lower wood buds should be allowed to grow 

 out, and they may form perhaps almost as good 

 blooms as the older one. Thus Ethel Brownlow, T., 

 by no means a very strong grower, when grown as a 

 Standard Maiden should always have the crown bud 

 removed : it will come to no good, and very likely will 

 have a prominent green centre. 



The chosen bud should be carefully examined 

 before it is entrusted alone with the sole responsibility 

 of the shoot. Any insect perforation however small, 

 or any unusual appearance or sign of deformity, 

 should cause the dethronement of the crown bud at 

 once, and the election of the most perfect of its two 

 or three companions in its place. Even with the 

 utmost vigilance many a fine bud will be tended and 

 cared for and only found to be malformed at the very 

 last when it should be in perfection and ready for 

 show. 



"Where there is still a choice of buds later on 

 when the first signs of colour are visible, signs of 

 malformation may often be detected in an uneven 

 appearance of the green calyx enclosing the petals. 

 If this is irregularly disposed so that more colour 

 shows on one side of the bud than the other there is 

 a strong probability of there being a deformed arrange- 

 ment of the petals, leading to the bloom being 

 " divided " or " quartered," a very serious detriment 

 to the shape of many of the finest blooms. There is 

 no remedy : another bud, if possible, should be chosen 

 in its place. An exception must be made in the case 

 of Madame de Watteville, whose buds are curiously 

 wrinkled to enclose the great wing petals. 



The tip of the bud should be quite sharp and green : 

 if ,at all blunted so that the colour shows, there has 



