CHANGE OF HERBAGE. 
371 
the opinion is that of another. We have no 
reason even to express a doubt, but as thousands 
act upon our opinion, we are obliged to guard 
them from any misconception when we see 
the same flowers.] 
ON THE EXHIBITION OF ROSES. 
The exhibition of Roses, as single flowers, 
has commenced with every prospect of advan- 
tageous results. The quality of the flower, 
when unaided by the ornament of leaves and 
buds, stands out conspicuously, and the diffi- 
culty of finding twelve or twenty-four that 
can be tolerated, is much greater than most 
persons imagine. The first time we recollect 
to have seen Roses exhibited like dahlias, was 
at a meeting of the old Metropolitan Society, 
and it was the same year that the striped rose, 
called the Village Maid, was imported by 
Calvert. It struck us then that if that were 
made the fashionable mode of exhibiting them, 
it would lead to great improvements. At a 
Floral Meeting in Buckinghamshire, not long 
since, the Roses were so exhibited, and pre- 
sented a very pretty object among the nu- 
merous and varied productions. But there 
was at that meeting a gentleman who declared 
that he had purchased more than five hundred 
kinds, first and last, and that he could not 
among the whole number find twenty-four fit 
to be shown for the individual properties of 
the single flower. Such, indeed, was the cha- 
racter of a great number, that he should have 
all but about forty changed by budding the 
better ones on these, as he would multiply the 
number of each of the best rather than keep 
things that he considered discreditable to the 
gardens. We are glad the plan of showing 
single blooms has been resumed in the country, 
and we strongly recommend all societies to 
follow the example, as a piece of the greatest 
service that can be rendered the floral world 
at the present moment. The Rose growers 
have had a pretty good fling. They have been 
allowed to go on selling hundreds of varieties 
that were unfit to grow, and have actually been 
retrograding in the quality of the varieties they 
sent out, until the purchasers have reason to 
complain of gross imposition. It is true, that 
the mode of exhibiting them in bunches has 
greatly encouraged the spurious and worthless 
varieties. A bundle of flowers shown to- 
gether may look gay according to their colours, 
but they are so squeezed together, that if they 
were of good form, the form would be spoiled, 
and the bad form makes as good a bunch to 
look at as the better ones; but let any one 
look round the scores of bunches that may be 
seen at the great exhibitions, and see how few 
there are that have a round form, a plump 
face, a thick petal, or any other of the good 
properties which we are taught belongs to a 
Rose. The effect, however, of showing single 
blooms will be magic, and a good florist will 
be disgusted with three-fourths of the Roses 
now in cultivation, and those who order them 
for the future should distinctly require a gua- 
rantee that they will bear showing as single 
blooms. No others, in fact, should be grown 
but such as have some very distinct good pro- 
perty. A flimsy petalled Rose is not worth 
the room it occupies. It is fit only to make a 
garden in a litter, and keep the borders and 
beds untidy. In some of the catalogues we 
have observed an attempt to describe the 
Roses; and we are not a little astonished at 
the effrontery with which we are told that 
such and such a Rose is a show flower. A 
friend of ours had last year ordered a collection 
by marking a catalogue, and he put his mark 
to every variety so designated. It happened 
that, after he had given his order, we saw his 
list, and while we admired his spirit, we de- 
plored his folly. The Roses came, and of 
course three-fourths of them, although de- 
scribed as show varieties, were downright 
worthless ; and without attributing any im- 
proper motive to the dealers in Roses, we 
must protest against any such indefinite de- 
scription as " Show Roses" until they learn 
what a show rose really is. If one-half, and 
more than one- half, of the Roses so called 
were discarded altogether, the list of show 
varieties would be improved ; but even then 
there would be many that deserve no such 
character. Let every exhibition have a class 
of single blooms, not single stems merely, 
but actually single flowers, and we should soon 
see the kinds that ought to be appreciated, 
and those which ought not to be grown. Some 
very indifferent flowers might be cultivated 
for their colour, and some for the habit of the 
plant in the season of blooming ; but nine- 
tenths of all that ever were named or sold 
could be well spared, and Rose growing would 
become a pleasing occupation. "We, therefore, 
strongly recommend everybody to promote 
the showing of Roses like dahlias, and abstain 
from buying any or growing any but such as 
will stand that test of their merits. There 
will soon be such an alteration in the collec- 
tions of Roses as will raise the flower in the 
estimation of the public, and place the queen 
of flowers on a respectable footing. 
CHANGE OF HERBAGE. 
Many curious speculations have been 
hazarded upon the subject of spontaneous 
generation, and the various facts which have 
been brought forward on behalf of the dogma, 
that such a thing is certain, are not a little 
curious. For instance, it is said, that if you 
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