Management of Horticultural Exhibitions. 409 



Seventh. — Dealers or nurserymen should not be allowed to 

 exhibit in the same classes with amateurs, nor amateurs with 

 professed gardeners. Each should compete separately. 



Eighth. — The premiums for nurserymen should only be 

 large enough to indicate the superiority of one over another, 

 because they already have an interest in showing their pro- 

 ductions. 



Ninth. — The premiums should be large or small, according 

 to the known difficulties of cultivation, or preparation for ex- 

 hibition. 



Tenth. — The premiums should be numerous or otherwise, 

 this point being regulated by the presumed number of com- 

 petitors who are able to exhibit. 



Now we regard all these as essential points, and do not 

 think that any of them can be neglected without injury, ei- 

 ther to the exhibition, to the science, or to both. To perceive 

 their importance let each be separately considered. 



By the first rule, competition is invited by offering induce- 

 ments for the production of such subjects as will add mate- 

 rially to the attractions of an exhibition, and tend to the ad- 

 vancement of the science. It is by no means a rare thing to 

 see premiums offered for very common productions, articles 

 of easy cultivation, unimportant as ornaments, indeed almost 

 of no use whatever, such as common flowers and vegetables 

 in June and July, when every body's garden is crowded, and 

 there is a perfect glut of such things. There cannot be any 

 merit attached to their growth, nor is there any novelty con- 

 nected with their exhibition, because they are familiar to 

 every one. 



In these cases prizes are thrown away, for, unless the 

 growth be extraordinary, no interest is felt, and it is only for 

 extraordinary subjects that premiums should be given at all, 

 and these of small amount. At many horticultural exhibi- 

 tions, the tables are seen crowded with vegetables, &c., which 

 might have been purchased at any market, and it is quite 

 possible that a number of these are so obtained. If premi- 

 ums must be given for such things, let them go to small far- 

 mers and gardeners only, whose productions are useful, for 

 here they can be advantageously offered without a limit as 

 to quantity, because they are thus stimulated to industry and 



VOL. XI. NO. XI. 52 



