EXHIBITING. Ill 



the public, and many a g-ood Rose would be resusci- 

 tated from the dust. Further, the trade and amateurs 

 would begin to specialise far more, and not only would 

 it result in better business, but better Roses would be 

 put before the horticulturist. 



The trade has been gradually weaving about itself 

 its own chain, and, furthermore, the trade knows it; 

 but it finds it hard to break away. Now, I find it very 

 difficult to write on such an important subject without 

 being obliged to hit out straight from the shoulder 

 since nearly every trade Rose grower is well known to 

 me, and I like to count them all as personal friends, I 

 feel that I shall be forgiven the foregoing and follow- 

 ing remarks. If only amateurs would take the trouble 

 to visit some of our large Rose nurseries, and there in- 

 spect numberless varieties growing by their hundreds 

 and by their thousands, 1 am confident that the lists, 

 too often compiled under present conditions in the show 

 tent, would be considerably altered, and the trade would 

 wake up to the fact that what the amateur wanted was 

 what it, in reality, would far rather grow and sell — 

 namely, a tree that does well, a free bloomer, and a 

 sweet-scented rosy Rose. The general public wants 

 flowers, not chance blooms, and it likes to see a bush, 

 not two or three sticks with half-a-dozen leaves. 



Granted the large grower likes to procure any new, 

 although possibly shy, variety, the general public might 

 not; they want Roses, and if tRe national flower is to 

 increase in popularity as fast as new varieties are being 

 introduced, then the classes in many schedules will 

 have to be revised. Here I feel It incumbent upon me 

 to say that if amateurs, when buying Roses in blissful 

 ignorance of what are the most suitable varieties, show 

 or otherwise, would leave the selection to the nursery- 

 man with whom they are dealing, they would be far 

 safer, and they would get their trees far cheaper, with, 

 of course, the exception of new varieties. 



Again, in all fairness be it remarked, that the 

 average trade catalogue contains not only lists of the 

 best varieties for small growers to plant, but also, as 



