12 
of blooms we have brought. Suppose we 
are dealing with a “12 distinct” box. Begin 
by taking one Rose at a time and gently re- 
move the ties, and with a soft camel-hair bush 
assist the petals to open—if the bloom ap- 
pears of good shape, size, and colour, and 
likely .to last in that condition for the next 
few hours, carefully replace the tie round the 
central petals, tying rather tighter than when 
on the plant, and wire the stem of the bloom 
with a Foster support, and place it in the tube 
itis to permanently occupy. Begin at the top 
left-hand corner of the box with the largest 
and most perfect Rose you have—say a dark 
one—then next to it put a light coloured one, 
then dark, and so on, well mixing the colours, 
and thus making each Rose show up the at- 
tractions of the adjacent blooms. The back 
row must consist of the largest specimens, 
the middle row of those next in size, and all 
the smallest blooms must be -placed in the 
front row. 
Ween the box is filled it will present rather 
a disreputable appearance with each bloom 
tied up, and only the outer petals showing, 
but who of us has ever seen a sparkliug 
Sunday belle looking her best in her Saturday 
night curl papers. Close the lid all but an 
inch and stand the box aside, and leave it 
alone until the time comes.to carry it cff to 
the show. Do not invite each individual 
member of your household separately and 
apart to come to a private view. ‘Vhey do. 
not appreciate the curl papers, and the con-" 
stant lifting of the lids only admits warm 
air, and in a sense is disturbing. to the 
blooms. 
Never if you can help it lose sight of your 
boxes on the way to the show... If the hall 
is near home this is an easy matter, but when . 
travelling by train try to have the boxes in 
the carriage with you. 
able make friends at once, with the guard, 
and travel in a compartment near his van so 
as to be on the spot at. once when remov 
ing from the train. The average railway 
porter if left to himself usually handles the 
box containing your best blooms as if it were 
an empty milk churn. 
leave the boxes there while we go off at once 
to the officials’ tent and secure our cards. 
This period of the day is often of aver 
trying nature to the exhibitor. 
Many a time I have been at a show where, 
according to the regulations, boxes could not 
be admitted after ro o’clock.in the morning, 
and it has been twelve or half-past before the 
judges came round to do their work. It 
seems to be nobody’s fault in particular. 
The secretary usually receives the blame; 
and I imagine it is no pleasant task to have 
to listen to the angry tirade of a disappointed . 
exhibitor whose blooms two hours. before 
might well have received premier honours, 
but whose chance has been ruined by the 
prolonged delay. ; 
As soon as you get an intimation that the 
judges are coming get the lids off, and the 
ties taken off the blooms. 
flowers may appear to have gone off some- 
what, and in this case take them out and ~ 
replace by younger spare blooms, a number 
of which we should always take with us (but 
Some of the - 
THE AUSTRALIAN GARDENER; ~ 
NOVEMBER 1, 1902. 
in the hurry be careful to see that you do 
not already possess a flower of the same 
variety in the stand or you will be disqualified 
for duplicates), then raise the bloomis a little 
higher in the tubes so as to make them 
stand out boldly. . Raise the back of the box 
a few inches above the level of the staging, 
and prop itup with a wedge or a small’ 
flower-pot.. This. throws up theback rows, 
and-shows off the whole of the flowers to the 
best advantage. See that the proper card is 
left face downwards by the side or in 
front of the box, give one last look round to 
see that all is right, and -by this time.the: 
official request that we should clear out will 
have become too pressing to be resisted. 
For the next hour weare left very much to ; 
our own devices, and avery anxious, nervous 
time it is, and the best thing I find is to hunt 
out the refreshments and endeavour to calm ~ 
our excitability by the squarest meal that 
can be procured. © We shall probably be able 
to do justice to it, as one’s breakfast on show 
days is not generally of such a satisfying or 
snbstantial nature as it should be. 
What an exciting rush it is into the hail- 
directly the judges cone out. I think these 
are the most anxious moments of all. 
We.' 
scamper round from box to box to see what’ 
~ has been our reward, with no thoughts just 
at the time for the success or failure of 
of others. 
It is a lovely feeling 
we cannot all andalways have first prizes, let it 
Well, let. us hope we find a’ 
. “first,” on each. 
- But if on occasion we do not succeed, and 
make us more dogged and determined to do: 
better next year. ~ “ You never know your 
‘luck ;’ and I well remember the first time I 
exhibited, I got a third prize for my six.’ I 
was delighted, but when the first prizeman was 
pet hts in.. disqualified, for some’malpractice or other— 
If this is, impractic-.° 
I forget what it was—and I was promoted to 
second prize, there was no holding me. 
’ It seems to be the correct thing when unsuc- 
cessful to abuse the judges. - They sometimes 
are not careful enough I think, and in 
judging Roses are too apt to let their fancy 
be influenced by the principles of avoirdupois 
‘» rather than by slowly arriving ata decision 
When we arrive at last at the exhibition ' 
hall we should select some quiet cornet and ° 
by pointing each bloom separately, and thus 
make the total number of points for each 
exhibit represent the result ; but this only . 
‘occurs in local shows where the judges 
are called upon to adjudicate on a multitude- 
of subjects in a restricted time ; and even in 
~ glaring cases I have usually found it best to 
+ take the iujustice “lying down.” ~ 
Just one last word, little men fight keenly, 
and with the intense eagerness of little folk 
in another sphere of life. But in exhibiting 
our Roses—as indeed in all such competi- » 
tions—let us endeavour to emulate the 
sweetness and brightness of our flowers in 
our feelings towards those who are strug- 
gling. against us in what should be the 
pleasantest and most friendly of contests, 
where no bitterness or animosity should find 
a place, winning or losing with a good heart 
and cheerful spirit, and then we shall make 
amongst kindred souls who love the garden 
and the flowers we grow, friendships which 
will last us our life through, or if severed 
earlier, will yet leave us with memories 
sweeter and more. fragrant even than the 
< fragrance of the Rose.” 
—G. W. Cook, 
Roses for the Rock Garden. 
r 
becom “The Garden.” 
T is not because there is any, dearth of 
+ subjectsto plant in the rock ‘garden that I~ 
venture to recommend - Roses, but simply 
for the reason that some few varieties are seen — 
to the best advantage when trailing gracefully 
over votllbori: At the base of the rockwork, ~~ 
those who know them can readily under- 
stand how exquisitely beautiful would be the 
tiny little Fairy Roses (R. Lawrenceana), 
with their exceedingly deminutive flowers no 
larger than a sixpence, or the more modern 
Polyantha Roses, of which Little Dot and 
Etoile d’Or would be most suitable by reason | 
of their lowly growth. The stronger forms 
of this tribe, such as Perle d’Or, would be 
better adapted to plant midway upon’ the 
rockwork, and the same might be said of the 
ever-flowering White Pet, which produces 
immence corymbs of blossoms, each one ° 
like a miniature rosette. A sheltered, sunny 
nook should be reserved for that tender 
gem Berberifolia Hardii. Give it a little 
peat and. protection in winter and spring, 
and it will be’sure to flourish and yield plenty 
of its very transient but charming yellow 
flowers, which are prettily spotted at the base 
of ‘each petal with chocoiate. Another 
somewhat tender but beautiful; Rose is the 
single white Macartney, that i$ well deservy- 
ing of a_place-—if not on the rockwork, at 
least.in some sunny spot of the, garden, pre- 
ferably at the-foot of a warm wall. Its neat, 
shiny foliage is at all times intecesting. 
A rockwork is jut the place for such 
quaint varieties as the green Rose. ‘his 
curiosity is nothing more nor less that a 
redundant supply of calyx, the so-called 
flower being quite minus of petals. These 
calyces are pea green when Opening, but 
change to a russet-brown shading as they 
develop. It is a true China Rose, produc- 
ing these singular flowers in’ quite large 
bunches. Another pretty, if quaint, variety 
is the crested Moss, or, more properly, 
Provence Rose. Here the rose-coloured 
flowers are beautifully enveloped with a 
quantity of fringe, not unlike. tiny Fern 
_Jeaves. It is strong-growing, so should be 
placed accordingly. Two little gems for the 
rock garden are to be found in the miniature 
Provence de Meaux, both the pink and 
the white - forms. It is a delightful 
"little: Rose of lowly ;growth, similar to de 
-Meaux.. Rosa microphylla. rubra, unfortun- 
ately, is rather tender, otherwise it is a_most 
interesting Rose. ‘Iwo excellent kinds for 
the ‘background are the fragrant Dawson 
Rose, now becoming well known, and_ its 
white sport. Rugosa Mrs. J. Waterer;’ 
bright crimson, the double flowers very 
freely produced; Austrian Briers,- Single 
Copper and Single Yellow, the double 
Harrisoni, and the Stanwell Perpetual | 
Scotch Rose, that well justifies its appellation 
of perpetual, are also very suitable. Hebe’s . 
Lip is a delightful single variety for the . 
background, harmonising well with Macrantha_ 
perhaps the loveliest of all the singles. If, 
the rock garden were sufficiently extensive _ 
room should be found for one or two of the 
Penzance Briers, such as Anne of Geierstein, . 
the richest in colour, and Lady Penzance, 
