Well I started this thing and never did anything with it so here goes from nothing.
Today I was talking to my friend Diana and she said she did some rose starts. Upon further inquirer she used a potato. Of course I said whaaaat? A potato she replied.
Here is the method. Take a cutting off of a rose that has a bud on it. When you cut the branch, cut at an angle. Then where you made the cut, cut the stem a couple times at the cut end perhaps an inch or so up.
Snip all of the branches off and most of the foliage except at the top. Snip the bud off.
Take a potato and peel it. Stick a screwdriver down the potato to make a hole the length of the potato. Drench the bottom of your cutting in honey or plant hormone and stick it down the potato with the bottom inch or so of the branch sticking out the bottom of the potato. Plant the potato in the yard with a good soil or potting mix. Keep watered and it should start growing into a new rose.
I did two today. Cool stuff if it works and that probably depends on my vigilance.