NATIONAL ROSE CONFERENCE. 



297 



Briar Seedlings or Brim- Cuttings for Stocks. — Judging from 

 the opinions expressed in the Returns, it appears that, other con- 

 ditions being equal or unknown, there is absolutely nothing to 

 choose between Seedlings and Cuttings, for Rose Stocks ; yet 

 each has its particular merits under certain conditions. Given 

 a good deep rich well-drained soil, or a dry sandy or chalky 

 soil, the Seedling seems to be preferred. It roots deeper down 

 into the soil, and can therefore better withstand the summer 

 drought. The Cutting, on the other hand, appears to be the 

 best for shallow or heavy soils, or for damp ill-drained positions. 

 It roots somewhat nearer to the surface, and makes a fibrous 

 web ready to absorb the surface feeding given ; it is also more 

 readily affected by the warmth and light of the sun. The Cut- 

 ting has another merit in the eyes of many in that it is easier to 

 bud on it, than on the Seedling. It is said by some that the 

 Cuttting also gives earlier and somewhat larger blooms, to which 

 others reply, " But the Seedling lasts the longer." In deep warm 

 well-drained soils therefore, or in over-dry ones, our " Returns " 

 counsel us to choose the Seedling, and in heavy or damp soils to 

 choose the Cutting, but in other cases Seedling or Cutting are 

 good alike. 



Manetti or Briar as a Stock. — Manetti does not find much 

 favour ; some, however, consider it better for light soils and for 

 strong growers, and some think that for such it is immaterial 

 which stock is used. The Briar, however, is insisted on as an 

 almost absolute necessity for Teas and weakly growing H.P.s. 

 Manetti is said to give earlier blooms, and therefore if used 

 partially, together with Briar for the main crop, it affords a 

 longer succession of bloom. The consensus of opinion is de- 

 cidedly against Manetti for heavy lands. 



Value of " OivnRoot " Boscs. — The general agreement on the 

 inferiority of Roses raised from Cuttings, and therefore growing 

 solely on their own roots, as compared with plants budded on the 

 Briar Seedling or Briar Cutting, is very remarkable. It appears 

 to be pretty generally agreed that " Own Root" plants take much 

 longer to obtain, and when obtained give inferior blooms. Some 

 few, however, prefer " Own Roots " for very strong growers like 

 La France, Ulrich Brunner, and the Duke of Edinburgh family. 

 Some of the Returns remark that budded plants become " Own 



