Greg, I belong to a group of old garden rose lovers (ogres) who have studied the pruning of Tea roses. We have decided that the best way to describe the way to prune young Teas to gardeners whose thinking has been influenced by years and years of growing modern Hybrid Teas and Floribundas is with the 3 D's. You're probably right that the better terminology is dead, diseased and dying, but we like to give people a little leeway to remove the errant cane here and there while discouraging the removal of twiggy growth. I personally know when a aged cane has used up all the bud eyes and when its removal is necessary, but you would be astonished how many think the cure in such a case is to shorten the cane rather than to remove it altogether - - once again, thinking influenced by growing moderns, probably budded.

If I can convince gardeners that pruning is training, not cutting for the sake of cutting, I will have done one good thing for The Rose. Some roses need to feel the steel, others need to build large structures on their own terms and dictate which wood is removed. Some gardeners have a natural feel for these differences, while others never notice and have beautiful gardens all the same.