74 THE CARNATTOX MANUAL. 



the other. While in the neophyte stage let them 

 remember that, though skilful dressing may be in 

 its way a fine thing, culture is the thing ; for it is 

 culture, which means the close and patient observa- 

 tion of the needs of the plant and attention to 

 them, and not dressing, which produces exhibition 

 blooms. 



Again, it is often urged by the same class of 

 critics who object to dressing that our mode of 

 showins: the flowers, arranofed on a show-board 

 without foliage, is inartistic ; but here the same 

 remark as to their want of acquamtance with the 

 object sought by the display applies. 



Our good friends' preconception of a flower 

 show is always that of a floral bazaar or fancy fair, 

 where decorative and picturesque eflect is every- 

 thing, and the individual types of the flowers 

 hardly anythmg at all. 



It is not pretended that our mode of exhibiting 

 the flowers in the show-boxes is a perfectly artistic 

 one, though it is by no means one where scope for 

 artistic skill is wholly wanting, as some of our 

 critics would find if they had to stage a twelve or 

 twenty-four in competition with those who had 

 learned their lesson in this matter from past masters 

 like Dodwell or Simonite. Hardly a prettier 

 exercise m " Chevi*eul on Colour " can be found 

 than in the skilfid arrangement of a stand of twelve 

 or twenty-four Carnations or Picotees, whether of 



