STATE POMOLOGICAL SOCIETY. 58 



There should be a condition or conditions something like this : 

 In order to receive the first premium the exhibit should score at 

 least seventy-five points, and no exhibit should receive any premium 

 that does not score fifty or more points. This past year in several 

 instances when there was only a single exhibit second premiums 

 were awarded. In two of them complaint was made, but if a scale 

 of points had been used, we doubt if either would have scored fifty 

 points. 



I have written to several horticultural societies to ascertain what 

 system of making awards prevail with them, but I have as yet got 

 very little information that is of any value. The Massachusetts 

 Horticultural Society on fruits use the scale of points to which 

 reference has already been made. 



Mr. Elijah A. Wood, who was with us last fall writes under 

 date of Octobers, 1893: 



Yours of the 2nd inst , at hand. The only scale of points used 

 by the Massachusetts Horticultural Society is the one adopted by 

 the Massachusetts State Board of Agriculture on fruit. There is 

 no scale on tlowers that I know of. The Massachusetts Horticul- 

 tural Society has adopted a scale on Chrysanthemum plants which 

 is as follows : Size and form of plant, 25 ; size of bloom, 20 ; 

 general effect. 30; foliage, 2.5. This of course could be adopted 

 for some other species but could hardly be used for all. It is the 

 only scale of points used in floriculture that I know of. 



Yours respectfully, 



Elfjah a. Wood. 



In regard to the use of a scale of points, there is more work in 

 awarding premiums, but the results are of far greater value since 

 evfrythiug about the svstem requires care. The results too are 

 definite and satisfactory to exhibitors. But this requires what it 

 is not always easy to obtain and that is an expert judge who is 

 competent to measure correctly the different points that make up 

 the score. 



In the county fairs, with which I am familiar, there is great loose- 

 ness in making up the awards. Merit, which should always be the 

 first consideration, for various reasons is often overlooked, and one 

 of the chief objects for which a fair is held, is thereby defeated. 

 While our Society has no jurisdiction over these organizations, it 

 is not our province to dictate or even offer suggestions as to how 

 the affairs of the society should be conducted. Yet I have thought 

 we might in some way pleasantly get the subject before them and 

 urge them to adopt more efficient methods of awarding fruit 



