146 THE FLORAL WORLD AND QARDEN GUIDE. 



appear about the majority of the cut flowers. Then the habit of a rose is of 

 as much importance to the amateur cultivator as the quality of its bloom. 

 He may know that Jules Margottin is one of the finest pillar roses we 

 have, and that Pauline Lanzezeur is the very best for a bed, but he 

 ■will be more likely to be stimulated to try their several values as such, 

 when he can see in the great congress of the roses representatives of all 

 the leading sections in their proper garb, grown in various ways in proof 

 of their respective merits. It is an easy thing for men who grow acres of 

 roses to select on the morning of a show any number of fine individual 

 blooms, but many of the plants from which such blooms arc taken may 

 have poor foliage, a straggling habit, or, what is worse than all, be so shy 

 of their favours that the blooms shown may be the only ones they will 

 give during the entire season. Whenever the exhibition of plants is possi- 

 ble, they should be shown. In the case of dahlias, Ave must be content 

 with blooms — their exliibition in pots is of necessity no criterion of their 

 excellence, but now that the cultiu'e of roses in pots is becoming a popular 

 pastime with the possessors of orchard-houses and other cool structures, we 

 consider pot roses a necessary feature in a National Rose Show. We 

 confess that the clumps of plants in pots, tastefully arranged about the 

 tables, gave us more pleasru'e than all the beautiful collections of cut 

 flowers Avith which the room was crowded. Besides fancy kinds on their 

 OAvn roots, there Avere plenty of Avorked Noisettes, Bourbons, Hybrid 

 Perpetuals, and, indeed, of all the classes most in favour, as candidates for 

 admission to the rosary. 



Regarding the scene as a whole how charming was the spectacle, 

 how fragrant the air of the place, hoAV various the tints presented by 

 a family which, after all, is a A'ery limited one as to its range of 

 colour. Again did General Jacqueminot assert his strength, showing too 

 bold an eye for the florist, yet unequalled for the splendour of his 

 intensely fulgid banners. Again Geant des Battailles stood forth un- 

 beaten, yet annually confi'onted by formidable rivals, who have all but 

 snatched his honours from him ; what he lacks in colour he compensates 

 by profusion, and if he has a fame for turning blue when on the wane, 

 he makes up for it in the A'iA'id brilliance of his ncAvly-opening blooms. 

 We looked for some few favoiuites, and found them not. Wliere was 

 Isabella Grey ? She was not to be seen ! Nor was Mr. Cranston's LcC'lia 

 there, though he sent a splendid lot, in the midst of which was a 

 boxful of the General, " not for competition." We presume that it is 

 too early in the season yet for Miss Grey, or did the Maj frost destroy the 

 first blooms in the bud ? or is she not equal to the contest, and so must 

 fain retire into private life, and cease to compete for national honours ? 

 When we had seen Mr. Francis's Persian yellow we felt despondent about 

 Isabella Grey ; yet, as we have seen her in good trim, and had, on the 

 day of the show, A'erj^ forward buds on young plants, in our OAvn collec- 

 tion, Ave will continue to regard her as a bond fide addition to oiir list 

 of choicest flowers, which we have no doubt Avill improve from yenr to 

 year, just as Duchess of Norfolk, now a rose of the highest merit, 

 was of but poor j)retensions in the first tAvo seasons of her career. Lord 

 Raglan appears not to improve with time. He is too flat, and has a 

 crushed asj)ect. We took note of him at every table where he avos to bo 

 Been, and we can hardly^say that he is equal to Geant des Battaillcp, either 

 on first opening, or in going off"; there is a Noisette character about hia 



