In 1985, our local rose society was hosting the American Rose Society National Convention, and our garden was one of those on a tour provided by the convention. Ralph Moore was on one of the busses that stopped by the garden. He was interested in Don's "budded babies." Don explained it was becoming more difficult to obtain plants on Multiflora understock, and since we have a cool and shaded garden, Multiflora began faster in the spring than Dr. Huey, which seemed to need a sunny, hot garden to produce basal breaks. Don complained, however, that the process to bud took so long because of the necessity to remove the pith before placing the bud eye.

Ralph told him it wasn't necessary to remove the pith, that the eyes would "take" just as well with pith left in as look as the seal was tight and waterproof. To illustrate, he took an eye off an old garden rose, and leaving the pith in whip budded it into a cane on another OGR.

To this day (some 25 years later) Don uses Ralph's lesson as his standard for budding. Since he gets about a 95% take, the practice must be pretty good.

Thank you Ralph; we will miss you.

Don and Paula Ballin