ROSES FOR EXHIBITION. 229 



of great length, or with taproots, shorten the former, or 

 secure them to a stake, and remove the latter altogether. 

 Affix your permanent tallies (I use smooth slips of deal, 

 smeared with white paint, written upon with a black-lead 

 pencil, and secured with thin wire to the trees), because the 

 labels of the nurseryman, even when on parchment, become 

 illegible from rain and snow. 



" And next summer," exclaims the ardent disciple, " we 

 shall have Roses as large as finger-glasses ; we shall win 

 the Cup ; we shall make the Marquis's gardener, that bump- 

 tious Mr Peacock at the Castle, for ever to fold his tail." 

 It troubles me to repress this charming enthusiasm, to 

 demolish a superstructure as gay, but, alas ! as baseless, 

 as those card-houses which the child builds, with the kings, 

 queens, and knaves of the pack, upon the polished mahog- 

 any of his sire. No, my dear amateur, not next summer, 

 nor in any summer, with those Roses only which will grow 

 upon the trees just commended to you, are you to whip 

 creation, and make the family plate-chest groan. If yotc 

 propose to grozv Roses for exhibition — that is, to grow them 

 to their full perfection— yon must grow them on your oivn 

 stocks from buds. The Rose-trees, which we will suppose 

 you have just planted, are to supply these buds, and you 



