HOW TO SHOW THE ROSE. 263 



you have finished it, invite others to give their opinions 

 freely. Try to ascertain which Roses they Hke the least, 

 rather than to feast your ears with their exclamations of 

 praise. You will obtain help sometimes where you least 

 expect it, and your attention will be called to defects which 

 you had overlooked in a kind of parental fondness. Spec- 

 tators, unprejudiced and not akin, can readily point out in- 

 firmities in the families of other folks. They do not pro- 

 nounce, as you do, the red hair of your dear little Augustus 

 a soft chestnut or a rich auburn ; they have been known, on 

 the contrary, to murmur " Carrots." 



Have the sticks holding the cards which tell the names 

 of your Roses in their places before you put on the lids. If 

 you are showing in the larger classes, it is wise to make this 

 arrangement when you insert the flowers ; otherwise, forget- 

 ting names, you may run a risk of including duplicates. 

 Moreover, you will find the process of naming your Roses 

 after your arrival at the show a tedious occupation of time 

 which might be much more advantageously employed. 



Have your lids on before the sun is high, and be on the 

 show-ground as early as you can. You will thus have the 

 advantage of selecting a good place for your boxes, not ex- 

 posed to draught or to glare ; of replacing from your spare 



