176 A BOOK ABOUT THE GARDEN. 



pots and blocks for raising and tilting when necessary, 

 and to protect them with cords and stakes. Of course 

 you must have stages, where you have no banks, for 

 small plants, cut flowers, fruit, and vegetables ; but 

 the less timber you display the better. Three or four 

 members of the committee, as have taste in arranging, 

 should be told off on the morning of the show to 

 superintend " the staging." 



As concerns amusements, it's no good a-howling and 

 a-scriking because flower-shows by themselves, with 

 some few exceptions, won't pay expenses, or because 

 nine-tenths of our fellow-creatures prefers a balloon 

 to a bougainvillea, and likes fireworks better than 

 fuchsias. While you and I feast our eyes on the 

 flowers, why shouldn't Jack have his grin at the 

 clowns, and Jill her dance on the green ? Folks can 

 be merry and modest too ; and I've seen 'em a- 

 drinking and a-smoking at the sign of the " Six of 

 Spades," and elsewhere, without getting very drunk. 

 If the rich thinks the poor has low tastes, let 'em 

 join a little more in their amusements, and so raise 

 'em higher ; but I'm inclined to fancy that there's 

 less harm done in shooting at a target for nuts than in 

 crippling pigeons for five-pound notes ; and I'm sure 

 that there's more lying, and swearing, and robbing, 

 and drunkenness at one of the great race meetings, 

 with fine lords and ladies a-looking on, than at all 

 the flower-shows and galas put together. Besides, if 

 the people won't come to flower-shows without some 

 other inducements, how are we to teach them a taste 

 for flowers ? He who comes for the fun is sure to 

 walk through the tents ; and many a man who left 



