162 ROSES AT THE ROYAL BOTANIC SOCIETY. 



what Mr Paul had in store for us, and did not know that he 

 had planned for the highly successful evening fete at the 

 Royal Botanic Society in the Regent's Park a series of 

 beds and combinations which were the talk of the town 

 tne next day, and which will, we hope, silence those who 

 have said so often that the thing cannot be done. 

 Admitting that for the moment Mr Paul was an autocrat, 

 having only his own will to consult and his own materials 

 to work upon, he has nevertheless proved that something 

 tasteful can be accomplished, and that vastly increased 

 attractiveness is the result. Conventional usages take a 

 long time to uproot, especially when, as in this case, they 

 have some admitted advantages. For our own parts we 

 do not think these advantages at all outweigh the 

 distressing ugliness of what should be the loveliest of 

 floral parqueterie. It is difficult to understand why we 

 have put up so long with long straight stages and ugly 

 rectangular boxes with flowers jammed into them, and all 

 packed closely side by side without variation of level, with 

 nothing to set off, vary, harmonise, or contrast with the 

 masses of colour. Why, even Roses themselves cannot 

 bear such a test as that without suffering a good Rose 

 loses half its attractiveness a bad one shows its effects 

 more fully than it otherwise would do. " But the judges " 

 ah ! "the judges have to be considered." Undoubtedly 

 they have. They should have every facility given them 

 for comparing the flowers, and for coming to a right 

 conclusion as to their merits. But surely he must be a 

 very inefficient manager who in such a case as this could 

 not so contrive his plan as to satisfy at once the require- 

 ments of the judges and the tastes of the spectator. 



" Again, it is said the exhibitors would raise objections. 

 Perhaps they might at first, but they are far too long- 

 sighted a race not to see that if the arrangements were 

 well carried out, and facilities given for comparison, that 

 their interests would be far better served than they now 

 are. In the case of a Rose show, and still more in the 



