I have about 60 plants of ‘Dorothy Perkins’ sitting in a box, all growing away strongly and I need some understocks in a hurry. How do you think they would go, sans thorns? The seems to grow strongly and have great roots… my multiflora are not thick enough yet to use but these DP cuttings are just the right thickness and the plants are for my own personal collection, not for sale or anything.
As long as you are comfortable with their potential virus situation and they aren’t chlorotic where you are, why not? Anything which roots well, grows well where you are and accepts the type of scions you have should be suitable. Ya never know till ya try! Kim
I figured since Dr Phooey is actually descended from Dorothy Perkins it was worth a shot. I don’t know how Teas would go on it though… they use the Dr to graft Teas onto here… but it does poorly on my acidic soil
(pH 5.5-6).
I second Kim’s comments, especially the one about potential virus status. I would NOT recommend using any commercially propagated variety from that era to bud seedlings onto unless it was certified virus free. If its just for fun and to multiply plants for your own use, then why not? I’m not sure Old Dot has enought “push” in it to make a really good understock, but by all means, find out for yourself. 
Agreed, but it’s too easy for one of those to be the last one around when more are needed. Why take the chance of infecting things which may NOT be infected? With my luck, one of them WILL be the only one available to maintain the variety. Besides, if virus can be transmitted to seeds, it’s just another path of infection. Kim