1869.] THE ROSE. 295 



it ? ) smoke our cigars, with every probability tliat we should meet some 

 genial friend 1 Only let Mr Richard Dean direct, as now, and there 

 would be no fear of failure. Not only in London, but in Edinburgh, 

 in Dublin, in Paris, I would have a horticultural club, where gar- 

 deners (a title which every man is proud of, if he feels that he has a 

 right to claim it) might assemble in a fraternal spirit, as brethren of 

 that Grand Lodge whose first master wore an apron of leaves, and 

 whose best members were never yet ashamed if their own were of 

 purple baize. As time went on, we might have a library of horticul- 

 tural, botanical, geological, and chemical books. We might have 

 l^ictures, after the manner of our dear old " Garrick " in King Street, 

 of some famous chiefs who had conferred real benefits upon the gar- 

 dening world. How glad we should be, for instance, to see a good 

 likeness of "the Doctor," and of quaint old Donald Beaton ! 



"My dear fellow," said to me a young person, whom, after going 

 through his admirable gardens and houses, and hearing his professions 

 of interest, I had mistaken for a florist, and to whom I had incau- 

 tiously revealed my club aspirations, "you surely don't suppose I should 

 meet my gardener I " And he wore an expression of horror, as though 

 I had asked him to join a select party of lepers and ticket-of-leavers. 

 " Calm yourself," I made answer ; " there is no fear of collision. You 

 would not be elected, I assure you." Fancy a fellow pretending to be 

 fond of art, and wincing at the idea of meeting an artist. Fancy 

 Kynaston declining to dine with Pilch, or Mr Grace supposing that 

 disgrace would follow a weed with Richard Daft. More than this, 

 he who knows and reverences the gardener's art must be a gentleman. 

 He may not be aware that to leave out the li in Horse-radish, or to 

 sound the same in honour, is an offence less pardonable than profane 

 swearing ; he may even be ignorant that to eat Pease with a knife is 

 one of the deadly sins ; — but, nevertheless, if he loves his flowers, he 

 must be in heart a gentleman. But we have lost our way to the Rose- 

 show. 



We went back to our homes. We appealed for subscriptions to the 

 lovers of the Rose, and they responded, as I knew they would. They 

 responded until our sum total nearly reached £200. We published 

 our schedule of prizes, amounting to XI 5 6. We engaged St James's 

 Hall, an expensive luxury, at 30 guineas for the day, but just then in 

 the first freshness of its beauty, and therefore an attraction in itself. 

 We secured the services of the Coldstream band — a mistake, because 

 their admirable music was too loud for indoor enjoyment. We adver- 

 tised freely. We placarded the walls of London with gorgeous and 

 gigantic posters. And then the great day came. 



The late Mr John Edwards, who gave us from the first most impor- 



