182 MINNESOTA STATE HORTICULTURAL SOCIETY. 
EXHIBITING FRUIT AT THE MINN. STATE FAIR—FROM 
THE JUDGES STANDPOINT. 
PROF. S. B. GREEN, ST. ANTHONY PARK. 
From the standpoint of the judge of fruit at our exhibitions, it seems to 
me that the most important thing for the exhibitor to remember is that he 
should abide by the rules which have been laid down. He should get a set 
of the rules and study them carefully and their application to his case. 
These rules have been made with the idea of protecting the exhibitor and 
also giving him every opportunity to make a good display. One of the 
most annoying things to the judge is to have the exhibits not quite in place 
at the time the fruit is to be judged, or to have the entry cards mixed up, 
as is frequently the case with some exhibitors. No judge wishes to enforce 
a rule without regard to the spirit in which it was passed, nor to rule out 
an exhibitor from the fact that he has not complied with some small matter, 
but it may delay his work very much in waiting for some exhibitor that 
could just as well have been on hand as the others. I know well, from a 
wide experience, that there are some exhibitors whom I expect always to 
find a little behindhand in getting their exhibits in place, and who are pretty 
sure to have their cards mixed up. 
The exhibitors should understand what good fruit is. I know too often 
the idea prevails that size only is the thing on which the award is decided, 
and, may I say it? I have seen judges who awarded premiums to the larg- 
est fruit, without regard to many other qualities. It seems to me that ex- 
hibitors should be given clearly to understand that what is considered the 
best fruit are normal specimens, free from injury by fungi or insects, that 
have the proper color for that season of the year for that particular variety, 
and are clean and have the stem on. All things considered, the most nor- 
mal specimens should receive the premiums. 
Occasionally we meet dishonest exhibitors, but they are the exception 
rather than the rule; but almost every year I have noticed efforts to substi- 
tute one variety for another, with the evident hope that the judge would over- 
look the substitution, and that they would receive the premium. I know one 
exhibitor who seems quite inclined, so that I have come to look for it for 
the last few years, to substitute small Wealthy for Snow apples. Some ex- 
hibitors will exhibit large specimens with rotten spots on one side, and turn 
the spot down so that the judge will not see it. All things considered, a 
rotten apple should always take second place to a sound apple of the same 
variety of medium size, no matter how large the wormy or rotten specimen 
is. ; 
Try and keep the collection separate. Do not have the collection of 
crabs, etc., mixed with the general collection of apples, nor the apples mixed 
with the general collection of crabs, etc. 
If you think you are not fairly treated by the judge, and that there has 
been some mistake in the award, do not go to the judge about it. Go to the 
superintendent of the department. He can do more to make the matter 
right, and do it more easily, than the judge can. Judges, as a rule, intend 
to do what is right; but they are mortal and not perfect men, and there is no 
use of expecting them to do perfect work. If they make mistakes, they are 
generally willing to rectify them. The tricky professional exhibitor is the 
