82 THE FLORAL WORLD AND GARDEN GUIDE. 



self or somebody else is, " By what magical means are sucb glorious 

 flowers produced ? " 



The magical means comprise careful selection, honest cultivation, 

 and tasteful disposal of the flowers. To succeed as an exhibitor the 

 amateur must put his heart into his work, must master all the details 

 of planting, pruning, and budding, and train bis eye by constant 

 observation and comparison to the appreciation of the distinctive 

 qualities of the flowers, as well as the modes of procedure followed 

 by different cultivators. How far a good soil aids the exhibitor may 

 be estimated by the relative success of a certain few of the most 

 eminent trade growers. It would not be prudent to mention names, 

 but we may properly suggest that those who most frequently and 

 continuously take the highest awards — the gold Cups and medals 

 for 96 or 72, three trusses of each, say from 200 to 300 specimen 

 flowers in one lot at one time — the folks who have longest and 

 loudest held a lead in this way, always hail from a strong soil, and 

 are generally found to be great in growing roses on the English 

 brier. Others who follow them closely, or, while showing well in 

 certain extra classes, carefully abstain from competing in the 

 sections where both quantity and quality are required, will be found 

 to be located on gravelly or sandy soil, and to be assiduous culti- 

 vators of the Italian brier. The amateur must always bear in mind 

 that a genial climate, a rich mellow soil, and a considerable amount 

 of moisture both in the earth and the air, are the needful aids to 

 skilful manipulation ; and although he may not be able to command 

 any of them as the accidents of locality, he must do all that art 

 suggests as possible to remedy the defects of nature — that is, if he 

 hopes to succeed with roses. 



In presenting the queen of flowers in a competitive exhi- 

 bition, considerable finesse is required. Tou may have superb 

 roses, but unless you show them properly they will be lost, and 

 flowers of inferior shape and substance may win the prize over the 

 head of yours. If exhibiting is in your mind, you must occasionally 

 visit rose shows, and make note of the manner in which the flowers 

 are arranged, and especially of the differences in appearance between 

 those that win and those that lose. Tou will very soon learn that 

 skilful handling of the flower has nearly as much to do with success 

 under canvas as skilful cultivation has in the open air. Now, what- 

 ever your ideas as to how roses should be shown, be you content in 

 the first instance to walk the way of the world, and conform to all 

 established rules, taking comfort by this consideration, that there 

 have been original thinkers in the field — aye, and men of rare sound 

 taste, too, and yet after all they have attained to nothing better than 

 wooden boxes covered with moss in which to stage their competitive 

 flowers. 



The regulation boxes are made of inch deal, all of the same 

 breadth, namely, eighteen inches ; all of the same height, namely, six 

 inches at back and four in front, and of various lengths, according to 

 the number of roses. For twenty-four roses the length is four feet ; 

 for eighteen roses, three feet ; for twelve roses, two feet two inches. 

 The twenty-four box is the largest, and for convenience of carriage 



