November 20, 1884. ] 
JOURNAL OF HORTICULTURE AND COTTAGE GARDENER. 
468 
that some flawers were not considered perfect or even presentable to the 
eyes c' judge until they bad undergone some preliminary arrangement 
or dressing of the petals. Nature was, in fact, so deficient that Art had to 
be called in to assist. Dahlias, Picotees, and Chrysanthemums were the 
principal flowers that Nature had neglected, the two former especially. 
Without the assistance of Art these flowers dare not appear in the awful 
presence of a judge—they must, in fact, be “ dressed ” for the occasion. 
Put I fancied weKoso lovers hoped that our favourite flower was in itself 
so perfect that it needed not the touches that other flowers had to 
Any edict, however, that may go forth, if it is to carry weight, should be 
the result of a full committee’s deliberations. 
In common, I trust, with many Rose growers I am concerned to think 
that the present decision of the Committee has been to gloss over a case 
of deception, to say the least of it. As the matter stands I scarcely think 
the Committee of the National have exactly met the difficulties of the 
case. In law they may be perfectly correct ; in equity I think they 
have made a mistake. I do not think that the matter even of this de¬ 
cision can rest where it is. The Leeh Times has another letter from the 
Fig. 76.— Fabias de Maderanaz. 
undergo. To all such believers the letter of the Secretary of the Leek 
Rose Society must have proved a rude shock. 
The consideration that the Leek Rose Society was affiliated to the 
National Rose Society, and that the parent Society does not appear to 
view the incident in exactly the same light as the offshoot, will probably 
bring the whole subject of legitimate and dishonest practices in regard to 
R jse-exhibiting into the “ realm of practical politics.” It seems to me 
that something must be done, and looking at the note of the National 
Society’s Honorary Secretaries in reference to this matter it appears that 
the whole subject, not by any means a pleasant one, is receiving attention. 
Hon. Sec. of the Leek Rose Society. This letter contains an extract 
from a letter of Mr. W. Paul, and this extract seems to point to the con¬ 
clusion that at least some of the Committee did not understand that such 
a case was to be a subject for adjudication. This view of the subject 
gains further strength from the fact that several of the Committee, in 
replying privately to the Leek officials, are strongly opposed to such 
practices. 
I believe I am correct in saying that there is a rule, if not written, 
yet understood, that no foliage may be added to a bloom in Rose-exhibit¬ 
ing, even though that identical foliage may have come off the identical 
