io8 PRESENT-DAY GARDENING 



nearly perfect in development as possible, and quite free 

 from damage from the depredations of earwigs or other 

 cause. They should also, with the exception of the 

 pompon, pompon-cactus, and single varieties, be as large 

 as possible, consistent with freedom from coarseness, which 

 is a serious defect. The show, fancy, cactus, pompon, 

 paeony-flowered, and decorative varieties should be cut 

 when fully developed, but before the back florets have 

 lost their freshness. In the case of the single and col- 

 lerette varieties, blooms that have not quite reached their 

 full development should be selected, as these will retain 

 their freshness after being cut for a longer period than will 

 those which are fully open at the time of cutting. In all 

 cases the blooms should be cut quite early in the morning, 

 before the rays of the sun have reached them ; or late in 

 the evening, as may be most convenient ; and as they are 

 cut the stalks should be at once placed in water. 



In staging the flowers, it is important to so arrange 

 them as to obtain a perfect harmony of colour, and, when 

 using sloping boards, to graduate the blooms according 

 to their sizes, placing the larger ones at the back, the next 

 size in the middle row, and the smaller specimens in the 

 front. Should the exhibitor in making up his stand find 

 he has one or two blooms that are much larger than the 

 others, he must carefully consider whether it is desirable 

 to use them, because of the risk of their so dwarfing the 

 others as to convey the impression that they are of really 

 small size. Blooms of show, fancy, and decorative varieties 

 are usually allowed 6 square inches superficial, and there- 

 fore a board for 12 blooms should be 24 inches long by 

 1 8 inches wide ; and a board for 18 blooms should be 36 



