EXHIBITION ROSES. 



537 



Prior to the exhibitions of the R.H.S. in 1833, Roses were exhibited 

 at shows in the Royal Surrey Gardens and in some smaller exhibitions 

 in the London suburbs. At these early shows arose the taste for finely 

 formed flowers and the desire to raise Roses that should have " a 

 florist's standard of excellence." 



In 1810 there seem to have been "classes." at some shows, as, for in- 

 stance, in that of the Herts Horticultural Society, and in 1849 " fifty 

 varieties of cut Roses " seem to have been the competitive class. Pos- 

 sibly some lists of the varieties shown are extant in the journals of this 

 society earlier than that given in vol. vi. of the R.H.S. Journal in the 

 year 1819. 



In 1851, in the first edition of the " Rose Garden," Mr. W. Paul gives a 

 list of Exhibition Roses, and in a small book, " The Tree Rose," published 

 in 1845, a list of six finely-shaped Roses is furnished by Mr. Thomas 

 Rivers, then one of the large trade exhibitors. 



From the varieties given in these lists we can fairly judge what was 

 the standard of excellence which, after twenty-five years' exhibiting, Roses 

 had attained. My own experience dates only from 18G0, twelve to fifteen 

 years later, so that I have to accept these recorded lists, some flowers in 

 which stayed till my time. Mr. Rivers' six may be noted : ' Coupe 

 d'Hebe,' a cupped hybrid China ; Gallica 1 Boule de Nanteuil,' a large, 

 flat, imbricated flower with short petals ; ' Kean,' also a flat Gallica, with 

 an occasional green eye. The others I do not remember. 



The R.H.S. list includes mostly Hybrid Perpetuals, amongst others : 

 ' Baronne Prevost ' and ' Geant de Batailles,' flat flowers ; ' Madame 

 Laffay ' and 'William Jesse,' somewhat globular; 'Baronne Hally ' 

 and 'Caroline de Sansal,' upright globular; ' Armosa ' and 'Bourbon 

 Queen,' semi-doubles, were good enough to be included, as were the 

 Chinas ' Mrs. Bosanquet,' ' Fabvier,' and ' Abbe Miolan.' The only 

 flowers an exhibitor would to-day admit to his stand would be Tea 

 ' Niphetos,' ' Madame Bravv,' ' Devoniensis,' and, if he could get it, ' Cloth 

 of Gold.' 



The Rose Garden exhibition lists give ' Crested Provence,' 'Madame 

 Hardy,' and others, ' Moss Laneii ' and ' Bath White,' Gallicas ad libitum, 

 with Persian yellow, hybrid Chinas such as ' Brennus ' and ' Chene- 

 dolle,' and hybrid perpetuals such as those noted. Bourbons, including 

 ' Souvenir de la Malmaison ' and Noisette ' Lamarque,' in fact the best of 

 them, are now included among the garden Roses given in the N.R.S. 

 Catalogue, in contradistinction to the exhibition Roses. 



And yet the standard must have been fairly high, for the points of 

 merit accepted are thus laid down clearly in 1848: — 



" The outline of show Roses should be circular, free from all ragged- 

 ness ; the flowers should be full and the petals arranged as regularly as 

 possible ; the larger the flowers the better, provided they are not coarse." 



In 1879 the National Rose Society laid down the rules forjudging : — 



" A good Rose must have form, size, brightness, and substance. 



"Form shall imply petals abundant and of good substance regularly 

 and gracefully disposed within a circular outline. 



" Brightness shall include freshness of colour, brilliancy, and purity." 



A delightful perfection if it were adhered to ; but vivid colour is now 



