Management of Horticultural Exhibitions. 413 



single plant. Now this should not, we think, be permitted, 

 and it would be prevented by deciding at once, that (except 

 seedlings when shown as such), no person shall exhibit 

 plants of the same genera in any two classes. 



Amateurs, and nurserymen or dealers, should on no con- 

 sideration be allowed to exhibit in the same class ; and, if 

 care were taken not to make too great a demand on the lat- 

 ter, it would be perfectly just to call upon them for as large 

 a display as possible. If an amateur exhibits twelve plants, 

 the nurseryman can show double that number, and so it 

 should be in nearly every case. It is generally to the interest 

 of the dealer to exhibit as much as he can of whatever is 

 good or worth the buying, and there is no harm done if it 

 goes no further than this. Amateurs wish to see the varie- 

 ties, and the dealer is desirous of obtaining orders. The 

 difficulties of cultivation and transportation, should always 

 be regarded when calling upon nurserymen for their contri- 

 butions, and although we have protested against unlimited 

 collections, there is no good reason for preventing a nursery- 

 man from showing all he can produce, provided there be no 

 two of a sort. 



Our eighth proposition is, that nurserymen's prizes should 

 not be equal to or near so large as those for private growers. 

 The idea of giving large premiums for their productions, and 

 very moderate ones for amateurs, is to our mind perfectly 

 absurd, and for this very reason no good has come of it. For 

 dahlias the premiums should be small, and divided into sev- 

 eral classes, say for the best fifty ^10, second $8, third ,$6, 

 fourth 13, fifth $2, and sixth $1. By such an arrangement 

 we should have a number of competitors, instead of a very 

 few. We have said that some dealers are famous for growing 

 certain subjects. Tempt them with large single prizes, and 

 the eff'ect is certain, no opponents will appear, because they 

 know it is useless ; but regulate the premiums according to 

 the above suggestion, and you encourage others, besides add- 

 ing to the brilliancy of the exhibition. For all ordinary pro- 

 ductions, the prizes may be reduced from the preceding 

 amounts, say for carnations, picotees, pinks, &c., $3, for 

 stove and greenhouse plants $5, and in such proportions for 

 other articles, always bearing in mind the advantage of 



