ROSES AND ROSE SHOWS. 169 



ROSES AND EOSE SHOWS. 



[From "The Gardeners' 1 Chronicle" August 22nd 1874,^. 242.] 



1AM proud to find my name associated with the names 

 of Sowerby and Gibson men who have already made 

 a position for themselves men who have had fathers 

 before them whose names will live long and honourably 

 in the annals of English botany and gardening. I should 

 be glad if these gentlemen would tell your readers what 

 part they took in and what claim they make to the origin 

 and success of my Rose garden in the Regents Park 

 Botanic Gardens. Mr G. Paul quotes as my words " that 

 the standard of size and shape does not prevent our finest 

 garden roses being shown" and promises a list of varieties 

 to answer the "assertion." Now these words are not 

 mine, I therefore need not notice the inference he draws 

 or intends to draw from them. But it is considered very 

 unfair in controversy to misquote your adversary and then 

 make a show of refuting what he did not say. Mr G. 

 Paul says " he (Mr Wm. Paul) wishes the public to believe 

 that those growers who, whether from a desire to avoid 

 the necessary labour and expense, and a certain amount 

 of risk of being beaten, or from other causes, do not com- 

 pete, produce as good nay, does he not insinuate better? 

 plants than those who exhibit for competition. Surely 

 this is misleading the public." I reply, I insinuate nothing, 

 nor am I misleading the public. I have spoken out boldly 

 and in the plainest language that I can command in a 

 manner which I judge calculated to prevent the public 

 from being misled by others or misleading themselves. 

 I say, first, that the standard of size and shape required at 

 the Rose shows shuts out many of the best sorts of Roses 

 for garden decoration ; and secondly, that Rose plants 

 grown for prize-blooms, however fine the plants may be, are 

 not intrinsically so valuable to purchasers as plants grown 

 otherwise. These two propositions I think I can make 



