220 THE BOOK OF THE ROSE chap. 



should be taken up cautiously so that it may be 

 placed root downwards, and not half of it upside 

 down, in the boxes, and will require the weeds and 

 grass to be picked from it. 



A much more effective moss is that which grows 

 on old thatch or even roof-tiles, but it is apt to lose 

 colour, unless kept damp. If it can be found on an 

 old north roof, it is much easier to prepare, and has 

 a far more velvety appearance than the first kind 

 mentioned, which sometimes looks little better than 

 badly made hay. 



The trays when trimmed with moss should be 

 watered occasionally and kept in the shade. But a 

 good overhauling is desirable before a night journey. 

 In one very dry season my mossed boxes had been 

 kept in the shade and duly watered, with the result 

 that two huge slugs each as big as my thumb came at- 

 tracted by the damp, and concealed themselves either 

 in the moss or underneath the trays. It was either in 

 the night journey or during the very early hours of 

 rest at the Crystal Palace that one of these brutes 

 crawled out and ate away just the top of my very 

 best H.P., a large specimen of Her Majesty. 



Boxes and allareready — to-morrowis the day of the 

 show — when shall we cut the blooms ? The distance 

 and the convenience of trains will almost answer 

 the question, for a start at three or four o'clock in 

 the afternoon is by no means unusual for those who 

 live at a distance from main lines, and want to show 

 on the other side of the country. 



It used to be always laid down that the morning 

 of the show is the time to cut, and that those who 

 are near enough at hand to do this are at an 

 advantage. Modern instances, and especially, I 



