XI EXHIBITING 231 
manceuvring and generalship in the last hour or so 
before the judges enter. If a man, who has entered 
in several classes and is only moderately strong, 
divides his best specimens among his several stands, 
he will probably get no first prize and run con- 
siderable risk of being out of it altogether. He 
should concentrate his strength on one or at most 
two classes, take a critical survey of his rivals’ 
blooms, and show pluck or discretion as the case 
may be in selecting the best class in which to put 
all his finest flowers. 
On one occasion, late in the season, when it was 
not likely that there would be more than one or two 
serious rivals, I sent my assistant (being unable to 
go myself) to a large show, with stands of thirty-six 
and twenty-four. He found one rival only of any 
-note, but he was Mr. X., and to beat him just then 
required the best amateur Roses in the kingdom. 
My man returned with two seconds, saying 
triumphantly, ‘‘I ran Mr. X. close; for he came 
and looked at me five times.” I could not help 
replying, ‘‘If you had followed his tactics and gone 
and looked at him, you might very likely have got 
- first for the twenty-four.’’ By dividing his forces 
my man was beaten in both classes: the expert had 
come and looked so often to satisfy himself there 
was no concentration of strength requiring a similar 
move on his part. 
No personal fancies, or likes and dislikes of 
certain Roses, should be entertained by the man 
who wishes to be successful. Some have an 
antipathy to the appearance of the striped Pride of 
Reigate: and I have heard, ‘“‘ Oh, I don’t like that 
Rose,” of such a variety as Souvenir d’un Ami. It 
