X PEEFACE. 



book. Ves, good reader, I am yuilty, and yet un- 

 abashed, for I deem it not only to be a sound policy 

 to omit many obsolete Roses, which are hard to pro- 

 cure from my lists, but also to include in the body 

 of the book advertisements. You cannot do without 

 the trader, and, as my book is for practical purposes, 

 I have given ihim his proper place. There has been 

 no advertisement admitted that does not concern horti- 

 culture, and only some of our most reliable firms have 

 been accepted. 



Give the trader his place ! No flower show can 

 be successfully run without the support of the trade. 

 The National Rose Society or the Royal Horticultural 

 Society would cease to exist as live concerns if the 

 trade withheld its support, and had it not been for the 

 trade the humble efforts of my pen had never been 

 published. *' Love me, love my dog!" Accept my 

 editorial and illustrations and approve my advertise- 

 ments ; both may be of service to you, and, after all, 

 to the Rose-grower they are of interest. 



You will doubtless notice that they all have been 

 kept to left-hand pages, so as not to vex the reader 

 who is so interested as to be impatient of interrupted 

 vision. Wihat did you say, good reader? ** A money- 

 making stunt!" Oh! no; you are quite wrong, for 

 the rates were all the same, and the same favours and 

 opportunities were offered to all our most reliable firms. 

 No. I feel the debt we owe to the horticultural trade, 

 and I prefer to reciprocate their kindly support in the 

 way I have done. 



I am indebted to so many firms for their kindly 

 interest that it is not possible to mention all. It re- 

 minds one of Founders' Day Service at Great St. 

 Mary's, Cambridge, when is read, '* Let us now praise 

 famous men," and later, " and some there be who have 

 no memorial." 



I cannot mention all who have helped me in my 

 book, but I should be ungrateful if I did not thank 

 some, and those whose kindnesses have no memorial 

 must take the will for the deed, and accept my book 



