1 8 A BOOK ABOUT ROSES. 



hail than, in the flesh, a few years before, he had 

 cared for Crimean snow. 



Nor was our first enjoyment diminished, when, 

 from a general survey of this charming contrast, 

 we proceeded in our judicial office to a minute 

 and careful scrutiny. I have never seen better 

 specimens of cut Roses, grown under glass, than 

 those which were exhibited by these working men. 

 Their Tea-Roses — Adam, Devoniensis, Madame 

 Willermorz, and Souvenir d'un Ami especially — 

 were shown in their most exquisite beauty ; and, 

 referring to subsequent exhibitions, I do not hesi- 

 tate to say that the best Marechal Niel and the 

 best Madame Margottin which I have yet seen, 

 have appeared at Nottingham in the ginger-beer 

 bottles ! Many of the Hybrid Perpetual varieties 

 were shown in their integrity — a difficult achieve- 

 ment when days are short and dull ; and one of 

 them, Alphonse Karr, I never met with after- 

 wards of the same size and excellence. It was 

 but rarely seen at our great Rose-shows, never in 

 its perfect phase; and I must frankly own that I 

 bought it, budded it, potted it, petted it, for many 

 years in vain. Of course, in an exhibition of this 

 kind, with difficulties to oppose which few dare to 

 encounter and very few overcome, these poor florists 

 must include among their masterpieces many 



