SENERAL HINTS. 69 



establishment of the showing in stands, like dahlias, will cause many- 

 old and fine roses to bo appreciated, and a great many new ones to be 

 discarded ; for although it is not the gayest mode of exhibiting roses, 

 it is by far the best mode of testing, and it is curious to see the num- 

 ber of varieties with very glaring faults. For instance, some are close 

 balls of-petals, with the outer ones rolling back a little, as if they were 

 shrivelling ; but never opening fairly. Others no sooner open than 

 they show their yellow seeds and their paucity of petals ; some are on 

 stems tpo weak to hold them in their position ; others, again, burst 

 into a broken mass of ill-formed petals, that do not compensate for 

 their sweetness. Some fall to pieces the instant they are open, and 

 others almost before they open ; many are shapeless masses of colored 

 flimsy texture, that neither hold themselves in form nor impart fra- 

 grance. It is worth whUe to direct the attention of the amateur to 

 the large collections of roses sometimes to be seen at exhibitions, and 

 to the very few which are to be found among them of a fine form. 

 They will observe bunches of half-bloomed flowers, that dare not be 

 shown ; they will find plenty of hard lumps, on stems not strong 

 enough to bear them without lolloping about; they will find some 

 without a round smooth petal among them, but very few so good as 

 the Tuscan, the Cabbage, the Moss, the Provence, and the oldest of 

 the known good varieties. This shows the necessity of attention to 

 the hints we have thrown out; for we must again confess, that 

 although we have selected the best among eleven or twelve hundred 

 roses, there are many that we shall see rejected like the remainder of 

 the entire collection, to make way for better flowers and better taste. 

 As a concluding observation respecting the management of the 

 Eose, we are bound to say, that a good deal that is done now is 

 erroneous, although taught by rose cultivators; and especially with 

 vegard to roses in pots, which, however pretty they may look, are 

 very much drawn, and very unnaturally supported. That the system, 

 if pursued, will lead to the introduction and toleration of varieties 

 which cannot support themselves, in the same manner as it did to the 

 introduction of worthless geraniums, there is no room to doubt ; for 

 in the specimens exhibited in pots at various shows, the total inabiUty 

 of the flowers and stems to support themselves is manifested, as well 

 as the dispositions to encourage this strange mode of distorting things. 

 Some allowance should be made for any forced subject; but that 



