ON EXHIBITING FLORISTS' FLOWERS. 251 



hibiting florists' flowers, which requires immediate amendment; and 

 I therefore trust the consideration of the subject will be taken up by 

 the committees of every society, where this practice is permitted, to 

 the end that it may be fully discussed in all points. 



It is the prevailing custom at various shows to judge flowers in 

 classes ; and in many places where this plan exists, the same variety 

 of flower is not permitted to be exhibited more than once in its class, 

 except where premiers are given. The tendency of this mischievous 

 and impolitic principle leads to great disappointment in the minds of 

 visitors as regards this part of the exhibition, who, upon inspecting 

 the various classes of prize flowers, in expectation of seeing only first 

 rate varieties, find that out of a row of perhaps from eight to twelve 

 blooms, there are not half a dozen in which the requisite qualifications 

 of a fine flower are fully developed ; the remainder (from the con- 

 tracted principle upon which the judges are bound to act) being com- 

 posed not of the best flowers (because it would take in a second time 

 the same sort), but, for varieties sake, inferior ones, very few of 

 which would attract the notice of a grower were he to see them in a 

 collection ; when on inspecting the stage where the unsuccessful 

 flowers have been deposited they discover splendid blooms, infinitely 

 superior to many of those placed as winning flowers ; and the decision 

 of the judges becomes naturally questioned. 



It is universally admitted, that the acknowledged object of all hor- 

 ticultural societies is to promote the cultivation of fruits, flowers, &c, 

 bv creating an emulative spirit amongst the various growers to pro- 

 duce the finest specimen ; then why should any regulation be suffered 

 to remain in force, tending to defeat so praiseworthy an object? 



It is not unreasonable to suppose that a small grower with his 

 score pots of leading flowers, being able occasionally to produce a 

 bloom that might compete with growers on a much larger scale, and 

 yet fail to obtain the precedence, and whose reward and encourage- 

 ment for future efforts is in seeing his flowers placed on the discarded 

 stand ; such flowers, being meritorious ones, would have stood pro- 

 minent in classes, if an unlimited mode of exhibiting had been 

 adopted. I am convinced that amateurs who only possess means of 

 growing on a limited scale, but whose principal chance of success is 

 in classes, would be induced to enter the field of competition, instead 

 of being deterred by the overwhelming chances against them. 



