lol - John, you posted on the Rose Propagation & Exchange Forum and I posted an answer

see http://forums.gardenweb.com/discussions/3205764/rooting-and-grafting-roses-results?n=9

Sharlene

John, there are several issues with your idea. The first is the likelihood the Huey is infected with Rose Mosaic Virus, so anything you stick on it will become infected, if it isn't already. The most irritating part would be there are many growth buds on that Dr. Huey. EACH one is likely to become a sucker beneath your graft. Your possibilities of having to fight suckers and an eventual takeover by Huey of the new plant as it did the original would be significantly reduced if you rooted pieces of the Huey first, being sure to disbud, remove, each growth bud along its length except the top one or two, which will be above the graft and cut off after the graft succeeds. Of course you can bud on it as it sits, but every bud beneath the graft is highly likely to push growth faster and easier than the graft itself, so you will continually battle a potential forest of Huey.

It won't matter how close to the soil level you graft, there are growth buds beneath where you graft. That's just how the plant is made. Taking a cutting and meticulously removing all the buds except for the top one or two, then grafting below them, is the most certain way to prevent the suckering issue.

Thanks for your response, Roseseek. It seema like I need to do more studying, but worth pursuing.

John A

You're welcome sir! There are sources (rather convenient ones, too) of virus indexed root stock. No matter what you're budding, starting off with as clean a stock as possible is worth the effort. Depending upon what you wish to bud, you may have a clean (or dirty) plant, but it's worth making the effort to keep it as clean as possible. Particularly in a climate with winters as extreme as yours can be.

Do you think it would be possible to remove all of the suckers from Dr. Huey and to graft a new scion directly into the existing bud union?