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Covering of blooms is a great help in producing roses of greater size, better colour, and with less damage to outer petals. All cream, yellow, and white roses improve under cover and will be much less damaged by thrips. Very few pinks benefit by close covering, though partial shading, by keeping off both sun and dew, will often help them. Reds are even less tolerant of covering than pinks.

Covers should be placed in position when buds are just showing colour. In spring one can expect blooms for show day from buds whose sepals separate seven to ten days before the day. In autumn the development of the blooms is slower, and covering can be done even a fortnight before show day.

Many a wonderful bloom has opened a day or so before or after a show, but it is the good rose on show day that wins, and so several buds of each variety should be covered. Variation in the stages of their development is desirable, for weather conditions play a big part in the timing of the blooms.

There are many ways of covering. Some are very complicated, requiring a lot of expense, elaborate equipment, and minute attention. They cannot be recommended. Only two forms of covering need be considered-the flower-pot and an inverted box. The pot is used for close covering; the box for light shading.