EXHIBITING SWEET PEAS : r 



always got together on the occasion of the shows of 

 the National Sweet Pea Society in the bright, well- 

 lighted hall of the Royal Horticultural Society, Vincent 

 Square, Westminster, S.W., know that certain leading 

 exhibitors have their own peculiar methods of arranging 

 the flowers. Consequently, although every exhibitor 

 uses the same kind of vase, the inherent artistic taste 

 of one, enables him to gain advantage over another 

 who is not similarly blessed. The question is some- 

 times asked, in what way, or by what methods, can 

 we improve the present system of exhibiting Sweet 

 Peas ? 



The method of staging Sweet Peas in earthenware 

 vases as at present observed is a very good one, but 

 there is a uniformity in the show as a consequence 

 of this hard and fast rule, that threatens to endanger 

 its well-earned popularity. We all know what was 

 said of the great Chrysanthemum Shows of the past, 

 when by a strict rule, each exhibitor had to stage 

 his blooms on green painted boards of certain dimen- 

 sions. What was the result of this ? Uniformity ! 

 And so uniform was the arrangement of the show 

 as a whole, that visitors and others, after looking 

 through a few of the more important exhibits, tired 

 of them, or admitted that one class appeared to be 

 a repetition of another, and so on. There appears 

 to be just the same possibility with leading shows 

 of the Sweet Peas. We hope, however, that our 

 fears may prove to be unlikely of realisation, and 

 that their popularity will continue to increase. The 

 shows at Vincent Hall make quite a fairy land of 

 the place, but this must not be attributed entirely to 

 the method of showing Sweet Peas, but rather to 

 the excellent planning of the exhibition by those who 

 are responsible for its management. 



Although many exhibits were disqualified a few years 



