Right off the bat, I made a few observations on Mr. Lincoln,
1. I see a few dieback canes that I marked in yellow and blue circles. I would prune the dark brown/black cane area, which visually appears as a dry cane. For instance, if you prune the dieback cane in half, you will see a dried out interior of the cane, whereas if you prune it from the origination of the brown color, you will see a fresh/white interior. The white interior indicates a healthy part. So I would prune off the dieback canes from the point where the brown color originates.
2. The ones that I marked with yellow arrows (at the bottom and the top center) highlight the pink bud eye, which will grow into canes. Wherever you see pink bud eyes means the rose is well on its way growing.
Besides the above two observations, I don't see any issues, and I feel Mr. Lincoln is getting established. As I stated earlier on this thread, some roses put on bottom growth first before putting on top growth, and some do the opposite.
You may find this article informative:
http://www.missouribotanicalga...
