CAUSES OF FAILURE. 3 



form and bountiful bonnet, our old friend Mrs. 

 Brown, who has just had ''one drop of the least as 

 is," informs the public that she ** knows for facts 

 that Mr. Turner of Slough has a dead horse under 

 every Rose-tree, and Pauls & Sons has hundreds 

 of young men with gig-umbrellas standing over 

 their Roses when it rains heavy." Mrs. Brown is 

 delighted, like all around, and ''means to tell 

 Brown, as soon as ever she sets down in her own 

 parlor, that Marshal Need all over the house, and 

 Sulphur Terry round the back door, grow she 

 must and will. But goodness me!" she suddenly 

 exclaims, "what a mess o' them reporters!" No, 

 my dear madam, they are not reporters — only 

 spectators, putting down in their note-books the 

 names of Roses, Avith an expression of eager 

 interest which says, I must have that flower or 

 die. 



Every year this enthusiasm increases. It is 

 not easy to collect reliable statistics; some who 

 might furnish them, if they would, shut their 

 mouths closely; some open them so widely as to 

 justify the amusing sarcasm of a reverend and 

 roseate brother: "When they count their trees, 

 they include the aphis;" but I have obtained 

 trustworthy and interesting information from sev- 

 eral of our chief Rosarians, who have kindlv 



