FEBRUARY. 43 



no sooner was he clear off than he began to play his favourite village 

 airs. Old Dobbin, who had been a trooper in early life, was soon 

 on his mettle, and ivould prance and caper, despite of Jacob's earnest 

 efforts to restrain him. Fortunately the cessation of the war-notes 

 and a little coaxing brought him to a stand ; not, however, till my 

 buds and blossoms had been shaken within a hair's- breadth of 

 snapping. Jacob, pale with fright and hair on end, looked into the 

 van, and pushed his horn under the sawdust in which we stood, ap- 

 parently thankful that matters were no worse, and the rest of the 

 journey was pursued in ease and safety. On reaching Chismck, we 

 were carried from the van to the tent on hand-barrows ; but, alas ! 

 when we arrived there the tables were covered with plants, and we 

 were set on the grass inside the tent. Here we remained about an 

 hour, buffeted by every passer-by : first, a coat-tail swung round 

 and knocked off one of my buds (Jacob remarking sorrowfully, that 

 exhibitors in tail-coats should pull them off before walking among 

 exhibition plants) ; then a leg binished me, bruising both leaves and 

 flowers, and I sustained more injury in that short period than during 

 the whole journey from Cheerup to Chiswick. Indeed I never spent 

 so unhappy an hour in my whole life ; for, apart from the unplea- 

 santness of my situation, I saw John's long-sustained labour ruth- 

 lessly wasted. It seemed there was a dispute about the benches. 

 One of John's competitors had arrived at the show first ; and finding 

 John's roses finer than his own, had spread his over a larger surface 

 than usual in order to squeeze John's tight into a corner. But Jacob 

 was not to be out -manoeuvred so: he argued, grew angry, and, less 

 wily than his antagonist, visited him with the expressive but dis- 

 respectful and impolite term of ' dodger;' and was preparing to back 

 his arguments by physical force when John opportunely arrived, 

 and, as usual, brought peace and satisfaction in his train. On under- 

 standing the question, he appealed to the fairness of his competitor ; 

 but meeting with no response, he went direct to the authorities. The 

 result was, John's argument was pronounced sound and fair, and 

 each had allotted to him his rightful space. But the movement had 

 been artfully contrived, for it left John but half an hour to prepare 

 for the Judges ; and had the plants been of nearly equal merit, the 

 loss of time might have been fatal to him. As it was, John Avon the 

 prize, and the disturber was seen no more that day. I could relate 

 many wise and important things which the Judges said when settling 

 the awards ; but as they were said " under the rose," I forbear, sad as 

 the loss may be to the floricultural community. The company in 

 general admired us very much ; and the Prince of gardeners said of 

 me, that I was the finest specimen of a Pot-Rose that he had ever seen. 

 I am again indebted to my friend the drawing-master (who seemed 

 to take an increasing delight in me,) for the annexed portrait of me 

 as I appeared at the great Chiswick show. 



Yes, reader, this is as I stood in the presence of Royalty, which 

 had quitted its gorgeous palaces and courtly throng to behold the 

 forms and tints of nature's choicest flowers, at once pleasing the eye 

 with their soft and brilliant hues, and delighting the senses with their 



