AUGUST. 2438 
humble chronicler of its predecessors, I venture to give a report of. 
No one can rightly estimate the value of the change who has not seen 
the show under both aspects—the squeezing and crushing, the fight for 
room, the noisy din of a noisy band, and the heated atmosphere, could 
only have been endured by an unconquerable love of the flower, or a 
desire for a squeeze, which I verily believe some people heartily enjoy. 
Well, on the 12th there was space for exhibitors, breathing room for 
judges, perambulating room for visitors, and convenience for all. It 
had its drawbacks; it was a long way off; it was no easy matter for 
exhibitors to get their boxes up those long flights of steps; refreshment 
rooms were not open so early, and persons who had been travelling all 
night found it difficult to recruit their fast vanishing strength; but 
some of these mishaps were remedied, and Mr. Hole, when he saw the 
array of Roses, and the extent of the competition, I am sure did feel 
not a little proud of his own child. The flowers were arranged on 
tables 300 feet long and 7 feet wide, running down the centre of the 
nave, near the exotic department, the boxes being arranged on each 
side; Mr. Paul’s very fine collection of pot Roses occupying the middle 
part of the centre, and two collections of fifty Roses in pots from Mr. 
Francis and Mr. Turner being placed at either end, the intervening 
spaces being filled up with Draceenas, Fuchsias, and other plants from 
the Crystal Palace establishment. Ropes were drawn tightly round, so 
as to prevent a too near ingress of the visitors, and a canvas awning 
was drawn oyer the tables, at some height, so as to give a very softened 
light, consequently the coup d’eil was very beautiful. 
To give some general idea of the exhibition it may be sufficient to 
say that in letter A. alone there were 1800 blooms staged. Six sets of 
300 blooms each; these could only be exhibited by nurserymen, and 
tolerably large Rose growers too. ‘Then again in Class E. (for amateurs, 
24 blooms), there were 16 boxes staged; in Class D. (48 blooms), 
nine; and in twelves, ten boxes. So that altogether there could not 
have been less than 7000 blooms of Roses entered for competition ! 
The number of competitors had therefore very much increased, and I 
hope will increase still more and more. The Rose is one of those 
flowers which scorn to be dressed; you may twitch and turn about a 
Pink ; you may (if you are dishonest) gouge out the eye of a Dahlia ; 
but who would dare to dress the Queen of Flowers? who would twist 
her petals, or venture to flatten her face. Away ye sacrilegious fellows. 
Try not your hands on her fair face ; and as to taking out ‘er efe, you 
might as well offer to take out one of Our Most Gracious Sovereign’s. 
She is affable, too, bringing herself within reach of some of the poorest 
of her subjects, and therefore ought to stand well with them. And so 
she does. But what about the flowers? well, we will take alook round. 
«Which do you consider the best box in the show,” one was frequently 
asked. There was, as far as I could ascertain, but one opinion on this 
point, and that was that the palm was to be given to Mr. Keynes, of 
Salisbury, for his box of 24—a new exhibitor in Roses, though a 
veteran in other things, and who deserves immense credit for thus taking 
high honours. When the first show was held I ventured to say that 
Mr. Cranston’s 24 was the best box of Roses ever shown. And so it 
