October 4, 1919 



HORTICULTURE 



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HOW FLOWER EXHIBITIONS ARE 

 JUDGED. 



In regard to the comparative merits 

 of flowers or plants on which the 

 judge's final decision is based at any 

 well conducted flower show, it should 

 be pointed out that they are about six 

 in number, namely, (1) Form, (2) 

 Color, (3) Size, (4) Condition. (5) Sub- 

 stance. In the case of some flowers 

 fragrance is often considered of im- 

 portance. In addition to these main 

 points there is also the question of 

 uniformity, as well as that of setting 

 up or arrangement. 



In order to make oneself clear as to 

 what is meant by the terms mentioned, 

 the best method is to define them in 

 the briefest manner possible. 



Form: Ideal form is that which 

 most closely approximates certain 

 Ideals which the judge has in mind of 

 a perfect specimen of the variety of 

 flower which he is judging. For in- 

 stance, a rose of perfect form should 

 have symmetry, certain uniformity in 

 the arrangement of petals, together 

 with either length of bloom or width 

 of bloom, according to the class to 

 which it belongs, and a few other 

 characteristic features. 



Color: Certain varieties have char- 

 acteristic colors, and any specimen 

 which does not show true has to be dis- 

 qualified by the judge. A perfect color 

 has been defined as one which lasts 

 for a long time without fading and 

 which is rich and attractive rather 

 than dull. Some red flowers in partic- 

 ular have a habit of fading out, very 

 soon after they are full bloomed, to a 

 very displeasing shade of magenta. It 

 is necessary, therefore, that flowers 

 which are too full bloomed should not 

 be selected. 



Size. As a rule, size indicates a cer- 

 tain amount of cultural skill and suc- 

 cessful care on the part of the exhib- 

 itor. Size, however, in some cases 

 may not be a desirable characteristic. 

 This statement, however, may be more 

 true in connection with fruits than 

 with flowers. Large-sized flowers, 

 other things being equal, stand a bet- 

 ter chance of winning the prize. With 



fruits, the reverse may be the case, as 

 those of large size may be too poor in 

 quality. 



Condition: Condition may be briefly 

 described as relating to the vigor and 

 freshness of the flower. It must not 

 be too open and must be free from 

 blemishes, which point has already 

 been referred to. 



Substance: Substance is very often 

 an important quality in a flower. For 

 instance, a rose of good substance is 

 always favored by a judge in prefer- 

 ence to one which has thin petals and 

 consequently becomes flabby and 

 shapeless. The same remark is also 

 true with regard to many others. 



Fragrance: Fragrance is a point 

 which the judge only considers in con- 

 nection with certain fragrant kinds of 

 flowers. For instance, fragrance would 

 not be a point considered in asters 

 and gladioli. It may, however, be of 

 considerable importance in an exhibit 

 of roses. 



Uniformity and setting up: Uni- 

 formity with flowers, as with fruits or 

 vegetables, is something that no ex- 

 hibitor can afford to overlook. He 

 must in all cases choose specimens 

 which are uniform in all respects. It 

 is of little use for an exhibitor to think 

 that by putting two or three abnor- 

 mally large specimens in with the 

 others, the exhibit will be benefited by 

 so doing. On the contrary, the fact 

 that the five or six specimens, as the 

 case may be, are not uniform will de- 

 tract considerably, and the judge may 

 not observe it further than to note 

 that the specimens are not uniform 

 and are not therefore in the running. 

 — Canadian Florist. 



AMERICAN ROSE SOCIETY. 



Committees Appointed by President 

 Pyle. 



The Executive Committee of the 

 American Rose Society recently held 

 a meeting in New York. F. L. Atkins, 

 chairman of the committee to outline 

 a policy in regard to the establishment 

 of rose test gardens, has made a pre- 

 liminary report. It was the opinion of 

 the committee that the official rose 

 test gardens should be established 

 only in certain climatic zones. The 

 Department of Agriculture at Wash- 

 ington is working on a zonal map of 

 these sections. It was also the opin- 



ion of the committee that the Ameri- 

 can Rose Society should recognize any 

 show gardens in public parks or pub- 

 lic gardens, provided they are kept to 

 a certain standard of excellence. 



S. S. Pennock, chairman of the com- 

 mittee appointed at the last meeting 

 to formulate a plan for the dissemina- 

 tion of Dr. Van Fleet's seedlings, made 

 a report of progress. He read a letter 

 from Professor L. C. Corbett of the 

 United States Department of Agricul- 

 ture, proposing such a plan. 



It was voted to instruct the com- 

 mittee to arrange with the authorities 

 of the Department of Agriculture at 

 Washington for the testing of Dr. Van 

 Fleet's seedlings in all the official rose 

 test gardens of the society with a view 

 to future dissemination. 



The following committees were 

 named by President Pyle and con- 

 firmed by the Executive Committee: 



Central Committee of the Rose Test 

 Gardens: J. F. Huss, Hartford, Conn.; 

 Dr. A. C. Beal, Ithaca, N. Y.; Theodore 

 Wirth, Minneapolis, Minn.; J. A. Cur- 

 rey, Portland, Ore.; Charles E. F. Gers- 

 dorff, Washington, D. C; Professor N. 

 M. McGinnis, College Station, Texas. 



Arlington Rose Test Garden, Wash- 

 ington, D. C: Charles E. F. Gers- 

 dorff, Washington, D. C; A. F. Gree- 

 ley, Washington, D. C; Miss Carrie 

 Harrison, Department of Agriculture, 

 Washington, D. C. 



Hartford Rose Test Garden, Hart- 

 ford, Conn.: J. F. Huss, Hartford, 

 Conn.; George A. Parker, Hartford; 

 Conn.: Alexander Gumming, Jr., 

 Cromwell, Conn. 



Cornell Rose Test Garden, Ithaca, 

 N. Y.: Dr. A. C. Beal, Ithaca, N. Y.; 

 D. E. Griffin Lewis, Syracuse, N. Y.; 

 Charles G. Adams, Auburn, N. Y. 



Portland Rose Test Garden, Port- 

 land, Ore.: J. A. Currey, A. J. Clark 

 and Alfred Tucker, Portland, Ore. 



Rose Registration: Robert Simp- 

 son, Clifton, N. J.; W. R. Pierson, 

 Cromwell, Conn.; George H. Peterson, 

 Fairlawn, N. J. 



It was moved and carried that a 

 committee be appointed to foster in 

 every way the cut-flower rose interests. 

 The following committee was named 

 and confirmed: W. R. Pierson, Crom- 

 well, Conn.; Harry O. May, Summit, 

 N. .T.; S. S. Pennock, Philadelphia, Pa.; 

 Max Schling, New York City; Henry 

 Penn, Boston, Mass. 



The report of the committee on rules 

 and regulations governing the exhibi- 

 tion of garden roses was adopted. 



E. A. White, Sec 



