188 



THE BOOK OF THE ROSE 



CHAP. 



varieties are weak and difficult to grow, but they are 

 often so lovely that it would have been a great loss 

 if they had not been known : and even the few 

 scentless forms would, I believe, have found a footing- 

 on their merits. 



A young exhibitor should begin by making sure that 

 he knows a good Rose when he sees it — that he is well 

 acquainted with the types and ideals which authority, 

 as represented by the National Rose Society, requires. 

 And the first thing to be learnt is that " form," the 

 shape of the Rose, is the most important point of all. 



In Latin, " forma," shape, is " beauty," and " formosus," 

 shapely, is " beautiful." Form comes before colour as 

 drawing before painting. A tumble-down cottage or a 

 lopsided spray may be picturesque, but it is only formal 

 beauty that is amenable to the strict rules necessary 

 in competition. The " tumble-down " style of beauty 

 may be admired in the garden, but cannot be admitted 

 to judgment at Rose shows. A Rosarian soon becomes 

 accustomed to look upon form as the primal beauty of 

 the Rose, and to regard colour, though necessary, as a 

 secondary consideration. 



The N.R.S. Catalogue contains figures of four types 

 of form in exhibition Roses — the imbricated, globular, 

 globular with high centre, and the cupped. Originally 

 there was another, the flat shape, the type given of 

 which was Souvenir de Malmaison. This was rightly 

 dropped, as every one must admit that the flat plate-like 

 form was inferior. Of existing show-Roses Marguerite 

 de St. Am and most nearly perhaps approaches this 

 shape, which somewhat detracts from the merits of a 

 fine Rose of beautiful colour. 



The cup-shape will probably soon be expunged also, 

 as it is difficult to find a true type of it or make a 



