82 



IRISH GARDENING 



lengthens the inner petals. Others resent it : 

 some burst out all the quicker when the tit' is 

 removed, some lose their colour. Experience 

 will prove which should be tied and which not. 



(2) Bending down tin Shoot. — This is done to 

 check the flow of sap up the stem, thus retarding 

 development. All varieties of exhibition Hoses 

 benefit by bending down, but with some of the 

 short upright kinds it cannot well be done. We 

 take the shoot and bend it down so as to bring 

 the flower into a horizontal position, in the 

 opposite direction to the wind if possible. Tie 

 the shoot below the footstalk of the flower to a 

 stake, leaving the bloom projecting far enough 

 beyond the stake to admit of its being shaded. 



(3) Shading the Blooms. — Every selected Rose 

 should be shaded by a Rose protector ; there are 

 several kinds in use. In the case of varieties 

 that are impatient of wet it is absolutely neces- 

 sary that they should be covered a week, or 

 even a fortnight, before the show. 



Suppose the show is on Saturday, then early 

 on Thursday morning, as soon as the <h'\v is off, 

 go round the Roses and tie. bend down and 

 shade those you select ; go over them again on 

 Thursday afternoon about five o'clock, repeating 

 the process again on Friday morning. Our 

 object is to select the flowers before the time of 

 the morning development sets in, and in the 

 afternoon just before the dew rises. A Rose 

 tied when wet will lose its colour. 



IV. Cutting and Staging for Exhibition. 



(1) Cutting. — Always cut the Roses the even- 

 ing before the show, no matter how near at hand 

 the place of exhibition may be. Roses cut on 

 the morning of the show ma\ possibly be 

 brighter in colour, but they will never last, 

 especially in a hot tent, like those cut overnight. 

 Ge1 your boxes ready with tidies and moss, and 

 with the wire supports laid out before you begin 

 to cut. Commence cutting about 5 p.m., or 

 before the t\cw rises. Never carry cut Hoses 

 about in a basket, especially if the atmosphere 

 is dry, but take a spare cutting box with tubes 

 filled with water to the Rose garden. I'ut the 

 blooms in the tubes the moment they ate cut. 

 A stem exposed to the air. if only for a minute, 

 will harden at the cut and check the How of 

 water up the stem. One reason why some 

 flowers wither more quickly than others is 

 because the stems have been left too long out 

 of water. 



(2) Water. — Roses do not like extra cold 

 water: it gives them a shock. Put a dark red 

 Rose in cold water at the end of a hot dry day. 

 and in a few minutes the petals will curl and then 

 thecolour will My. Do not fill the tubes w ith water 

 direct from the pump, but let the water stand 



in a pail for an hour or so before using it. just 

 to mellow. 



(3) Staging. — This should be done in a cool 

 shed or stable well ventilated but not draughty. 

 Avoid a stuffy atmosphere, avoid wind : even 

 the slightest flutter of the petals is detrimental. 



in arranging the Roses in the box put the 

 largest flowers in the back row, the brightest and 

 2nost finished blooms in the middle row, the 

 smallest in the front row. As regards colour. 

 Beginning with the back row, put a light and 

 dark Rose alternately, the middle row having 

 a dark under the light one above, and so on 

 throughout the box. Endeavour to introduce 

 at least one Rose with a decided yellow shade 

 in every twelve that is staged. A good yellow. 

 even if small in comparison, will add brilliancy 

 to the box. Place it in the middle row sur- 

 rounded on all sides with the darkest reds ; if 

 in itself of not much value, it will add points 

 to the reds. 



in setting up the blooms remove all leaves 

 except one, for foliage assists evaporation and 

 development. Wire up each Rose with a wire 

 support ; cut a short piece off the stem to injure 

 the rise of water up it. and fix it in the tube so 

 that the Rose when staged will stand four or 

 five inches above the moss. Attach the name 

 card to the wire-holder on the tube. Fix the 

 tube firmly in the box, and. when the staging 

 is completed, slightly jar the box to see that 

 all the blooms are quite steady. Close the lid 

 all but the space of an inch, and the box is now- 

 ready for the next day's show. 



A box containing spare blooms should bo 

 staged and labelled in the same way ; duplicates 

 at one end, extra varieties at the other. If 

 possible the exhibitor should take to the show 

 an additional Rose fur every one he intends to 

 exhibit. 



V. The Day of Exhibition. 



(1) Arrival at th Slum-. Endeavour to get to 



the show early : by seven in the morning if 

 possible, so that the Roses may he kept quiet 

 between 7 and !) a.m., the growing period. To 

 carry Rose boxes about in the hot sun is not 

 good for the flowers. Do not get your Roses 

 ready outside the tent, there is sure to be a 

 draught. Entering the tent early gives the 

 exhibitor a choice of position. Light plays a 

 more important pari in winnii g a prize than 

 -ome people imagine. A mellow light intensities 

 the colour of the blooms, but clear daylight is 



harsh and destroys the colour. Therefore avoid 



a position near the entrance of the tent, and if 

 there should happen to be a choice of canvas, 

 put your box under a strip more yellow than 

 the lest. 



