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This eatalogue was sent to the Minister of Agriculture in July, 1890, accompanied by the following letter from the 
Sear pha the Department printed copies were sent out to all Secretaries of Agricultural and Hortieultural 
ocieties in Ontario. 
To the Honorable CHARLES Drury, Minister of Agriculture : 
Srr,—The Fruit Growers’ Association of Ontario bas had under consideration the subject of ‘‘How to- 
attain greater uniformity and fairness in the awards of Prizes at Fairs.” The great disparity in these 
awards has been a matter of public comment. This has been especially noticed in cases of collections of 
fruits where the rating of the values of the varieties has been left entirely to judges, some of whom are 
incompetent, and know very little of the comparative merits of the varieties placed before them. Even in 
cases of single plates, many of the judges employed are in a quandary as to whether an apple, for instance, 
should be classed among the fall or winter varieties. 
The present system of appointing three judges in the fruit department of our Agricultural Fairs is also 
thought to be a mistake, for, even if one of the three is an expert, the final judgment will often be reversed 
in deference to the opinion of the other two. 
Now, in order to secure uniformity and fairness in the awards and prizes for fruits at fairs, the first 
important consideration seems to be the appointment of fruit experts who will not award prizes for winter 
apples to autumn varieties, or allow one variety to pass for another because of their inability to identify 
them. If three expert judges cannot be had it appears to our Association that it would be far better to 
engage one expert, throwing upon him the whole responsibily and remunerating him accordingly, as is 
done in the judging at the poultry shows. Such a judge might also be required to give a list of points: 
upon which his judgment in each case was based. 
Tt is evident that the educational value of our fairs depends very largely upon the correctness of ‘the 
judgments given, and it is therefore exceedingly desirable that the work of the judges should be based 
upon some one standard, for even experts will differ with regard to the value of the various kinds of fruits, 
and their judgments cannot therefore be expected to be uniform. 
To aid the directors of the Agricultural and Horticultural Societies of Ontario in attaining so important 
an object as has been indicated above, the Ontario Fruit Growers’ Association has undertaken the prepara- 
tion of a Fruit Catalogue for the Province, beginning with the following one of apples, to which, in the 
near future, is to be added catalogues of other fruits prepared in a similar way. 
Ihe Catalogue is not intended in any respect to be a guide for planters, as this has been dealt with"in 
other lists which will appear in the next annual report of the Association, and because fruits which might. 
be of general excellence might be ill adapted to certain localities. 
In order to the better understanding the Catalogue a few explanations will be necessary. It will be 
observed that the usual headings found in such a catalogue, suchas ‘‘Size,” ‘‘ Color,” ‘‘ Hardiness” and 
‘‘Productiveness,” have been omitted, the first two because any such description to be of value should be 
sufficiently full and accurate to serve for the identification of the varieties, and the other two because there 
are very few varieties which are uniformly hardy and productive throughout the Province. Four general 
headings have been adopted, viz., ‘‘ Season,” ‘‘ Quality,” ‘‘ Commercial Value ” and ‘‘Total Value.’ 
In the plan of rating, all varieties are supposed to be perfect specimens ; then the best varieties under 
each of three or four heads are rated at ten, and all the more or less inferior varieties by some figure less 
than ten. It frequently happens, however, even with the best varieties, that imperfect samples are exhibit- 
ed. In such cases all values givep in the Catalogue must be reduced one or more points each, for (1) lack 
of color, [2] undersize, [3] unevenness of size on plate, [4] wormy, scabby or ill-shapen specimens, [5] lack 
of stem or ealyx, [6] polished fruits, z. ¢., having bloom wiped off, or for any other thing which \tends to 
change the natural appearance of the fruit. : 
The column ‘‘ Total Value ” is for use when prizes are offered for fruits without designating the pur- 
pose for which such fruits may be required, 
The committee to whom the preparation of this list was entrusted consisted of the following gentlemen, 
viz.: Messrs. Thomas Beall of Lindsay, Alexander McD. Allan of Goderich, P. C. Dempsey of Trenton, 
and P. E. Bucke of Ottawa, but before publication their work was submitted to a general meeting of the 
Association, where it was carefully amended and the desirability of its circulation among the secretaries of 
Agricultural and Horticultural Fairs agreed upon. 
I am, Sir, 
Your obedient servant, 
LINUS WOOLVERTON, 
Secretary. 
Grimsby, July, 1890. 
