On Exhibiting. 183 



CHAPTER XV. 



On Exhibiting. 



EVERY one who cultivates Roses may not do so with the design of becoming a 

 candidate for floricultural honours ; many are satisfied with the calm enjoyment 

 which this, in common with other branches of Gardening, affords the quiet mind, the 

 healthful glow, yields them a sufficient recompense, and ample satisfaction. From 

 such we must ask a little forbearance while we offer a few remarks on preparing for 

 exhibition, for we should be doing an injustice to some of our readers were we to 

 neglect this point altogether. Let us first consider the arrangement and exhibition of 

 cut Roses. The old plan of showing large crowded bunches is superseded by the more 

 natural one of showing single flowers or three loose trusses of each variety. By the 

 old method a gorgeous display was created, but the principles of good taste were 

 violated, and the connoisseur could find little to delight and interest him : each bunch 

 was a confused mass of colour, with a ragged outline. By the method now in vogue 

 the flowers stand out separately, and so far great improvement has been made ; but 

 there are still too many full-blown Roses at our exhibitions. We ought at our Rose 

 shows to see the flowers in every stage, from the tiny bud onwards, and we submit 

 whether a classification of the varieties exhibited would not be another step in the right 

 direction. A more heterogeneous mass could not be produced by any other genus 

 than by bringing together Roses of different groups and arranging them indis- 

 criminately. It is cheerfully admitted that certain groups may be mixed together 

 without any grave offence against taste, but I have seen the beautiful but tiny Moss 

 de Meaux completely smothered between two large Hybrid Roses, and the soft and 

 bewitching tints of the Tea Rose almost suppressed by the richness of the full deep 

 colours of the Hybrids placed beside them. And are similar cases unfrequent ? By 

 no means. Why not, then, arrange the kinds according to the classification of some 

 popular grower ? The beauty and extent of each group would thus become apparent, 

 and the abrupt transitions complained of be avoided. 



We think it a pity that Horticultural Societies should limit the number of varieties 

 to be shown. Would it not be better from an educational point of view to reduce the 

 number of trusses from three to two, or even one, and append a notice to the schedule 



