238 
THE FLORIST. 
and that a Rose show, unequalled in extent and in the quality of 
the flowers exhibited, was there to feast our eyes with. We had 
heard much of the Hall itself, but as true florists let us confess we 
never bestowed a thought even upon it until the flowers had been 
thoroughly scanned, and then, when we did look at it, were disap¬ 
pointed. It was much smaller than we had imagined, and much too 
small for the purpose for which it was used on that day. There was 
not room for the Roses; for no passage being allowed round the semi¬ 
circular portion, where Mr. Rivers’ collection was arranged, one had to 
travel from one side of the table to the bottom of the room, before those 
on the other side could be viewed ; but had there been a passage, 
evidently the tables would have gone too far towards the other end, so 
that the committee had but a choice of evils. And what shall we say 
of the company ? Though only there during the private view, we saw 
crinoline enough to have rigged a yacht, and though ourselves not very 
diminutive, if only one lady politely wedged her way between us and 
the table, hopeless became the effort to get within reasonable distance 
of the flowers. As might have been expected, it was a complete 
gathering of florists from all parts of the kingdom, some growers, others 
exhibitors, and many, like ourselves, lookers on, desirous of taking 
notes of novelties, and planning orders for the future. Hertfordshire, 
par excellence the Rose county, was represented ably by the veteran 
grower (though not for competition), Mr. Rivers, Messrs. Paul & Son, 
Mr. Francis ; and by Mr. Puller amongst amateurs. The eastern 
counties sent Mr. Cant, of Colchester ; Mr. Fellowes, of Shottesham; 
Mr. Molfort, of Dunmow ; and Mr. Fryer, of Chatteris. The midland 
counties were well represented by the Rev. Reynolds Hole ; Mr. 
Mallet, of Nottingham ; the Rev. C. 0. Maunsell and Capt. Maunsell, 
of Thorpe Malsor. Sussex chose for her champions Mr. Hollamby, 
of Tunbridge Wells ; Bucks, Mr. Turner, of Slough; and Berks, Mr. 
Worthington, of Reading. From Surrey came Mr. Stedman, of 
Woking; and from Kent, Mr. Sladden, of Ash. Yea, even the 
far west also sent its contributors — the Rev. Mr. Helydar, of 
Yeovil; and last, but not least, one who has already taken high 
honours, and of whom the Hertfordshire growers must beware, or he 
will pluck their laurels from them, Mr. Cranston, of Hereford ; for 
we have no hesitation in expressing our belief that such a box of Roses 
as his 24 was never exhibited. And when, towering over most of his 
competitors, a very Saul amongst his fellows, the zealous and inde¬ 
fatigable honorary secretary looked round on the result of his unwearied 
exertions; for once it was not true that— 
“ The ample proposition that hope makes 
In all designs begun on earth below, 
Fails in the promised largeness,” 
for he must have felt that success far beyond his anticipations had 
attended his labours. All honour be to him ! None begrudged him, 
at least, the prizes that he most justly bore off. If some of us had had 
our way, perhaps we should have placed him in the foremost rank 
instead of the second. Nor can we forget that it was in the pages of 
the Florist that he first suggested the desirableness of such a show 
