Chapter 19 (extract 1) of "Roses for English Gardens" by Jekyll and Mawley (1902), in which Mr Mawley discusses the various kinds of stock that were in use in 1902.
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Illustration: Rose stocks for budding: briar, seedling briar, Manetti cutting; from Foster-Melliar "The Book of the Rose" (1894).
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CHAPTER XIX
PROPAGATION OF ROSES
There are several other ways of propagating Roses, but the one most frequently employed and the most satisfactory is by budding.
Dwarf Stocks.—Many people imagine that all the dwarf or bush Roses they see in gardens are growing on their own roots, whereas in ninety-nine cases out of a hundred the roots of the plants are those of some Brier stock. The three stocks most in favour at the present time are the Brier-cutting, the seedling Brier, and the Manetti.
The only difference between the Brier-cutting and seedling Brier is that the former is obtained by making cuttings of the ordinary hedgerow Brier, while the latter is the result of sowing the seed of that Brier. They are both excellent stocks, and there are scarcely any Roses which will not unite with and grow well on either of them. The roots of the Brier-cutting are thrown out more horizontally than those of the seedling Brier, and are therefore more accessible to light and air and to any liquid or other surface nourishment that may be given them. On the other hand the downward tendency of the numerous roots of the seedling Brier enables the Roses budded on it to withstand drought better, and it is if anything the more permanent stock of the two.
The Manetti stock answers well in some parts of the country, such as the northern districts of England, and on certain soils, but cannot be so generally recommended as the other two stocks that have been mentioned. In most cases the roots of the Manetti, which is a foreign Brier, gradually decay, and the Rose budded on it, after a time, either dies outright or is kept alive by the roots thrown out round the collar of the plant by the Rose itself. It has another great defect in that the foliage of the Manetti is not easily distinguishable from that of many cultivated Roses, so that the suckers from this stock often pass unnoticed. Indeed one seldom goes into any ordinary garden without meeting with these suckers. In many cases the Rose has entirely disappeared, and the shoots of the stock alone remain.
It is not necessary to explain the method of raising any of these dwarf stocks, as all three can be obtained early in the autumn at a cheap rate from any Rose nurseryman. As soon as they arrive they should be planted one foot apart and three feet between the rows. For the convenience of budding they should be planted only about four inches deep and afterwards earthed up like potatoes as far as the main stem extends.
Standard Stocks.—The only stock used for standards, half-standards, and dwarf standards is the hedgerow Brier. These may be purchased during November from a nursery, or any local labourer used to such work will obtain as many as required from the wild Briers in the district. These stocks should be trimmed of any side shoots, cut to the length wanted, and planted two feet apart and four feet between the rows. The root should be cut away to within, say, two inches of the stem and not be left like a hockey stick. The best stocks are those of the second year's growth.
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