4 THE BOOK OF THE FLOWER SHOW 



balance on the wrong side of the financial statement. 

 The Committee, hoping for the best, retrenches, 

 reduces the prize money, and then the gold-seekers 

 avoid the exhibition, the public finds the Show less 

 attractive, and the Society is wound up or ekes out a 

 purely local existence. Prizes should be good, but not 

 excessive, and every Committee should endeavour to 

 create and foster a local, district, or national enthusiasm, 

 so that the glory and honour of winning should out- 

 weigh the monetary consideration. 



"Where a Society holds several exhibitions during the 

 year, the opportunity of providing seasonal displays is 

 afforded. Such displays deserve every encouragement. 

 A general exhibition, such as one held in July or 

 August, is of general interest, and is the kind most 

 usually provided. But there are numerous Societies 

 that confine their attention to some special kind or 

 class of flower, fruit, or vegetable. Among the 

 former there are such notable Societies as the National 

 Rose Society, National Sweet Pea Society, National 

 Chrysanthemum Society, National Dahlia Society, 

 National Carnation Society, Midland Daffodil Society, 

 Cornwall Daffodil Society, etc., on the one hand, and 

 the small village exhibitions of asters, auriculas, 

 marigolds, dahlias, etc., on the other. Turning to 

 vegetables, we used to have a National Potato Society, 

 and a National Vegetable Society is now established. 

 Vegetables are a great feature at Shrewsbury and 

 Edinburgh, but there are numbers of Societies and 

 Clubs that devote their whole attention to leeks, especi- 

 ally in the northern counties, and the enthusiasm 

 is very great among the members. Among fruits the 

 same thing holds good, for we have the Royal Horti- 

 cultural Society's great Fruit Show on the one hand, 

 and the many small gooseberry shows of the Midlands 

 and the North. 



