NATIONAL ROSE CONFERENCE. 



187 



scliild, Comtesse d'Oxford, E. Y. Teas, La France, Louis Van 

 Houtte, Marie Finger, Marie Verdier, Marquise de Castellane, 

 and Reynolds Hole were found on a critical examination to be 

 much inferior to those on the other two stocks. With these 

 exceptions, however, the plants on the Manetti are all good ones, 

 although in no instance as strong as those on the briar-cutting 

 and seedling-briar. On the other hand, in the case of Annie 

 Wood, Beauty of Waltham, Camille Bernardin, Charles Lefebvre, 

 Dr. Andry, Duchesse de Vallombrosa, Duke of Edinburgh, Duke 

 of Wellington, Francois Michelon, Madame Gabriel Luizet, 

 Marie Rady, and Senateur Vaisse there is very little to choose 

 between the three sets of plants. In many instances I found it 

 difficult to decide between the briar-cutting and seedling-briar 

 plants, both being almost equally vigorous, In November last 

 I took up at random six plants on the seedling-briar, and the 

 same number on the briar-cutting and Manetti, and carefully 

 examined their roots. In very nearly every instance the roses 

 had thrown out roots of their own round the collar of the plants, 

 while the roots of all the stocks, Manetti included, remained 

 perfectly sound and healthy. From the foregoing particulars, 

 taken together with the results of an annual examination of the 

 plants,* the following conclusions may, I think, be fairly drawn : — 



1. That on a mellow loam of good depth, with porous 

 subsoil, Hybrid Perpetuals on almost any stock will thrive and 

 do well. 



2. That the seedling-briar has so far proved itself the best 

 stock for the heavier soil and colder climate of my present 

 garden. 



3. That the briar-cutting under similar conditions is but 

 little inferior to the seedling. In fact from the first it has been 

 gaining on the latter. In the autumn of 1886, the plants on the 

 cutting were credited with but five first places against twenty- 

 seven for those on the seedling-briar, whereas the most recent 

 examination accords thirteen first places to the cutting and 

 twenty- one to the seedling. 



4. That the Manetti has proved itself in every instance 

 inferior in a greater or less degree to the two other stocks, while 

 in ten out of the thirty-four varieties in the experimental beds 

 the difference is very marked. On the other hand, with thirteen 



* " Rosarian's Year Book," 1887, 1888, and 1889. 



