62 Roses for Amateurs. 



Marie Baumann or a Duke of Edinburgh before him ; he 

 pictures to himself how grandly it would look in his box on 

 the occasion ; he cuts it at night, and, when he looks at it 

 in the morning, he fancies '(surely it must be fancy?) that it 

 is a little gone off. The remembrance of what, it was still 

 haunts him, and he ventures to put it in his box, forgetting 

 that it has some time to stay yet, that July is a hot month, 

 and that before he uncovers the lid of his box for the judge's 

 inspection the beauty of the Rose will be hopelessly gone. 

 It is of no use saying it was a beauty; judges don't decide 

 by what has been, but by what is, and many people do not 

 realise this. Fully-expanded blossoms ought never to be 

 taken, however beautiful they may be. Roses three-quarters, 

 or even half, open are the best. The exhibitor should have 

 a conl and somewhat dark place to which he can take them 

 as they are cut, for it is not well to have them at all 

 exposed ; and if a few are taken at a time, there is less 

 likelihood of confusion as to names. The flowers should be 

 cut with long stems : they can easily be reduced afterwards. 



Preparing the Boxes. 



It will be necessary to be provided with plenty of moss 

 for packing the boxes, also some green moss for placing on 

 the top, and tubes in which to place the Roses. For the 

 latter there were at one time used a good many contrivances, 

 physic-bottles included ; but now the zinc tube specially 

 made for them is employed by every good exhibitor of 

 Roses. 



An excellent arrangement for setting-up Roses is that 

 invented by Mr. Forster, watchmaker, Ashford, of which we 

 give an illustration. 'It will be seen that the tube consists 

 of two parts that which holds the water, and the top which 

 is fitted on to it. There is also a wire specially made to 

 fix the tube, and one to hold the name of the Rose. When 

 a Rose is to be put in the box, the wire is placed so as to 



