XI 



EXHIBITING 



201 



to" the careful handling of them, to use a Suffolk 

 expression. But personal supervision at all times 

 when they are moved is still very desirable, and the 

 legend " Flowers in water, this side up, with care " is 

 not much heeded if there is no one prominently visible 

 from whom a tip may be expected. 



On one occasion Mr. Burrell of Cambridge and I were 

 travelling together by night to the Northern Provincial 

 Show of the National Rose Society. At a certain station 

 we had to change, and after keeping guard over our 

 pile of boxes for a while, we thought, as all seemed 

 quiet, we might leave them for a little. We were not 

 absent more than five minutes, but on our return all 

 the boxes had absolutely disappeared. It was not till 

 just as our train was starting that we were assured, and 

 satisfied ourselves by the dim light of a lamp, that our 

 boxes were all in the van. We thought it was all right, 

 but my pet twenty-four, on which I had spent a great 

 deal of trouble, travelled the whole of the rest of its 

 journey actually upside down. My companion, who had 

 arranged to take care of the boxes on our arrival during 

 the small portion of night that remained, discovered 

 the mishap soon after I had left him : and with a kind- 

 ness I shall not readily forget did his best to restore 

 order, and comfort, and cleanliness to the poor Roses with 

 such success that they gained a third prize. 



At another of the N.R.S. Northern shows I was 

 going to show " six new Roses." A six box is, or at 

 least mine was, nearly square, but that does not seem a 

 legitimate reason why a porter should have rolled that 

 poor box out of the van just as if it was a cheese. 

 Though my remonstrance was meant to be severe, 

 the man hoped I should " remember him," and I have 

 done so. 



