CONCERNING ROSE-SHOWS. 201 



Rivers won the two gold medals for Roses shown at Chis- 

 wick, introducing a new and more effective arrangement, by 

 placing the flowers in fresh green moss — a simple, graceful, 

 natural combination, unanimously accepted by the exhib- 

 itors of Roses from that day to this. These prize blooms 

 from Sawbridgeworth, the advanced-guard of a victorious 

 army, were shown in clusters or bouquets of five, six, and 

 seven Roses, and were the best specimens which skill and 

 care could grow of the varieties which then reigned supreme 

 — Brennus, George IV., Triomphe d'Angers, Triomphe de 

 Guerin, &c. What a royal progress, what a revelation of 

 beauty, has Queen Rosa made since then ! In that same 

 year Mr Rivers published his first, and tJie first, Descriptive 

 Catalogue of Roses. It enumerates by name 478 varieties. 

 How many of them, think you, are to be found in his list 

 for 1869? Eleven! — eight of them Climbing Roses, two 

 Moss, one China — but none of them available for exhibition. 

 Will it be so with our Roses, when thirty-five years have 

 passed } I believe, I hope so. I believe that our sons will 

 see the Rose developing its perfections more and more to 

 reverential skill, and I hope that the sight may bring to 

 their hearts our love and happiness, for it cannot bring 

 them more. The Roses of to-day exhaust all our powers 



