ADDRESS OF PRESIDENT WALCOTT. 7 



the competitions and shows, it is nevertheless satisfactory to see 

 the many evidences of skill and taste displayed by the new comers, 

 and to know that a younger generation is, in turn, to enter into 

 the friendly rivalry which has contributed so much to the horticul- 

 tural successes of this time. The question naturally arises in 

 this connection — How can the exhibition of new and interesting 

 specimens of plants, fruits, and flowers be best promoted? As 

 the amounts of money awarded by us in prizes are apparently 

 equal to those which, under similar conditions elsewhere, are 

 found to be ample for the purpose of promoting exhibitions and 

 arousing competition, we may conclude that some other attending 

 circumstances are not favorable. The statement has been made 

 in the horticultural press of other countries, and it may be equally 

 true here, that the higher prizes, as medals and certificates of 

 merit, do not carry with them that suggestion of a deliberate 

 judgment exercised by a collection of competent judges which is 

 desirable. It does appear to be the fact that even in the case of 

 the large and well constituted flower committee of the Royal 

 Horticultural Society, these awards have been made by a very 

 small portion of the whole committee. Therefore, various propo- 

 sitions have been made for the purpose of securing a more 

 satisfactory bestowal of these prizes. The suggestion made is 

 this : that the qualities of excellence in the specimen under 

 consideration by the judges should be distinctly stated in writing, 

 this statement to be subscribed by a majorit}', at least, of the full 

 committee. 



The preparation of this written statement might very properly 

 be committed to two or three experts in the class of plants brought 

 before them, and it would not be necessary that this sub-committee 

 should be drawn from the members of the prize committee. It is 

 onl}' necessary that they should be well-recognized authorities in 

 their respective specialties, and that their functions should be 

 limited to the preparation of the preliminary report. The prize 

 committee should then take such action upon the sub-committee's 

 report as may appear best to them. We should then secure in 

 the flrst place the opinion of a specialist, — and no committee of 

 reasonable size will contain men entirely competent to decide 

 upon the merits of all specimens submitted to them — and in the 

 next place, we should have the revision of the specialist's opinion 

 by those not limited in their tastes and acquirements, but who 



