52 



THE CONNECTICUT POMOLOGICAL SOCIETY. 



laiiy wlien packed in boxes, is much more attractive. I am 

 inclined to vote for polishing our packed fruit, at least for the 

 present. 



And now just a word on the second section of my sub- 

 ject, "Exhibition Fruit." 



No man who has never exhibited fruit has any adequate 

 idea of the immense amount of work involved in selecting real 

 prize-winning fruit. As a judge, I have often said to myself, as 

 I examined some plate of apples: "Why didn't this man 

 get a fifth apple as good as those four? He would have had 

 a plate then that couldn't be beaten !" But as one who has 

 done a small amount of exhibiting I know why he didn't ! 

 The exhibitor is therefore entitled to all the information he 

 can get before hand. 



Now, while he is tO' a certain extent at the mercy of the 

 judge, yet I believe that if the score-card method is used, 

 and particularly if we discuss and define some of its points 

 more fully, the exhibit can know fairly accurately what to 

 expect in the judging. And I want to urge this point, that 

 the score-card be based on commercial considerations. We 

 include in it, or tr\ to include in it. all those factors which 

 inrtuence the apple buyer in making his purchases, and we 

 try to give these points the relative importance which the 

 buyer gives them. 



In the score-card suggested we have first "form," 

 which means the normal shape or form of the vari- 

 ety. It simplv recognizes that the buyer does not like ill- 

 shaped apples. 



Second, we have size. Good size indicates care and 

 skill in growing the fruit ; but, in my opinion, many judges 

 give too much weight to size. I not only believe that a plate 

 or box of apples should not receive the first place merely be- 

 cause the apples are large, but I believe that large size above 

 a certain point, is detrimental, and ought to he scorea 

 against. For example, in the Baldwin, I believe that the 

 ideal size is about ten inches in circumference or three and 

 one-quarter inches in diameter and that above that size 



