CAUSES OF SUCCESS 27 



some of his Nottingham friends who have slept in 

 their greenhouses, fearing a raid, for nights before 

 the contest came. This very Society of St. Ann 

 has a sub-committee to inspect the gardens of 

 exhibitors, and to prevent imposture. Discouraging 

 facts ! But so it is discouraging to note certain 

 infirmities of slothfulness, selfishness, and ignorance 

 in our daily life ; and when we have made ourselves 

 just such Christian gentlemen as we ought to be, 

 let us be severe with our fellow-men. In the interim, 

 suppose we try the experiment of winning them by 

 kindness and love. Suppose we try to convince 

 them that a public-house is not the only place for 

 a flower-show, that tents and schoolrooms are avail- 

 able for the purpose, and that it is possible to spend 

 a happy day without degradation at night, and sick- 

 ness to follow in the morning. 



It is high time, however, to leave this digression, 

 and to repeat, that whatever may be the infirmities 

 of these poor florists, they are eminently successful 

 in the culture of flowers ; and indeed it would be 

 easy to multiply proofs that in Rose-growing, as 

 in everything else, earnestness and industry, born 

 of love, 



* Di tutte le arti maestro e amore,' 



must achieve success. At a flower-show which took 

 place annually at Oundle, and at which I frequently 



