140 EOSES FOR DECORATIONS. 



them a prominent position, and as often as we enter 

 the room they help to decorate, we feast our eyes 

 upon their beauty, and their perfume delights oui 

 senses. If you live in a large town where flowers are 

 difficult to obtain, the florist's shop is your principal 

 source of supply, and you have little to worry about 

 beyond the cost, for only the very best flowers go to 

 market, and even then these are sorted out and 

 bought up by florists who know the likes and dislikes 

 of their clients and that which is most calculated to 

 appeal to the public eye. Everything has to be con- 

 sidered by the man in the trade, from the vase of cut 

 blooms to the decoration of a ball-room, and special 

 rcquirem.ents entail special orders to the grower. I 

 marvel every time I pass a florist's shop at the Roses 

 of to-day; it hardly seems possible that "such wonder- 

 ful blooms can be grown in and out of season. 



The length of stem, the cleanness of the foliage, 

 and the perfection of the blooms is astonishing, even 

 to a countryman who is used to viewing nature in all 

 her glory, used to gardens, used to nurseries and to 

 fields. 



Of course, it must be remembered that most of 

 the Roses sold by the florist are raised under glass, 

 are fed, cared for and grown to the very height ot 

 perfection by experts, in season and out. All things 

 considered, even massed production, it is a marvel to 

 me how cheap Roses are upon our markets to-day; 

 and yet there is room for a greater trade in the Rose 

 world. 



Fashion is a fickle jade that seldom knows her 

 own mind, and it is distressing to find that even Rose 

 growers court her to some extent, for they have to 

 grow according to demand. 



In house decoration pot plants play ^a consider- 

 able role, and fashion decree's the most favoured 

 flower. The Rose, however, is always welcome, and 

 every year its popularity increases as new varieties are 

 placed upon the market that are suited for special 

 purposes. Is it a group of pot Roses for the hall or 



