84 



JOURNAL OF HORTICULTURE AND COTTAGE GARDENER. 



[ August 4, 1870. 



been the mixed system of planting, sufficient attention not having 

 been paid to distinctness of colour. He did not advocate the intro- 

 duction of so much green into our gardens. 



JUDGING FRUITS. 



Dr. Hogg, after a few preliminary observations, said — 



Though the judging of fruit has on various occasions occupied the 

 attention of those interested in the subject, and has from time to time 

 been discussed in the public prints by those most competent to deal 

 with it, I am not aware that any common understanding as to the 

 bases on which fruit-judging should rest has yet been arrived at. Not- 

 withstanding this want of a written law on the subject, the practice of 

 judging fruit is followed with results which, though not always agree- 

 able to unsuccessful competitors, are, upon the whole, generally ac- 

 cepted and acceptable. 



It is not my intention to submit anything to this meeting which can 

 be regarded in any light as a solution of the question, Upon what 

 principles ought fruit to be judged ? This I will leave to be dealt 

 with by those of my audience who are sufficiently versed in the subject, 

 and who feel themselves competent to do so. All that I shall do is to 

 state the motives which actuate me in coming to the conclusion I do 

 when I am acting the part of a fruit jndge, leaving others to set up 

 any other code they may think better and more in accordance with 

 their own views. 



And first, let me remark that, in judging fruit at exhibitions, I 

 think we ought to do so upon different grounds to what we would 

 judge it at our own tables. We must bear in mind that exhibition 

 fruit is exceptional, and is produced by the greatest effort of the hor- 

 ticultural skill of the exhibitor. It generally receives an amount of 

 attention which he cannot afford to bestow on a general crop, provided 

 his establishment is an extensive one ; and we ought, therefore, to 

 regard the exhibition fruit of a gardening establishment very much as 

 we would the exhibition ox — as the exceptional animal on the farm. 

 In judging fruit, therefore, we must first look to those points which 

 exhibit the greatest amount of horticultural skill, and the first of these 

 are size and symmetry. 



In judging_size and symmetry we must deal with each variety on its 

 own merits. It would not be fair, for instance, to judge on the same 

 grounds a hunch of Buckland Sweetwater Grape and one of White 

 Muscat of Alexandria. That of Buckland Sweetwater may be much 

 larger than, and equally as handsome as, that of Muscat of Alex- 

 andria, and both may be in every point what gardeners call " well 

 finished ;" but the skill required in producing such a bunch of Muscat 

 of Alexandria being much greater than what is required to grow the 

 Buckland Sweetwater, and the Muscat of Alexandria being a much 

 superior fruit, I would give the preference to the latter, although 

 inferior in size to the former. The same may be said of Black Ham- 

 burgh and Black Prince shown in the same class, though not on the 

 ground that Black Hamburgh requires greater skill in the production 

 of it, but because it is a superior fruit. 



It matters not what description of fruit we may be judging ; be it 

 Grapes, Pines, Peaches, or any other fruit, size and symmetry are the 

 features which first attract our attention, and therefore to size and 

 symmetry, but not to size apart from symmetry, I attach, perhaps, the 

 greatest importance when other points are not greatly deficient. 



The next important feature is colour, requiring much skill in the 

 development of it. This is by some regarded as of even greater im- 

 portance than size and symmetry. I am rather inclined to give colour 

 second place, except when it is unusually fine, and the difference of 

 size and symmetry between the competing fruit is not great. In 

 such a case I would certainly give the preference to colour, for I 

 conceive that in such circumstances there is a greater exhibition 

 of horticultural skill in producing the highly- coloured fruit than in 

 producing the larger, because it betokens attention to the mainten- 

 ance of the just equilibrium between the action of the roots and 

 that of the leaves, and a knowledge as to the crop the plant is 

 capable of producing, without which I conseive no fruit can be well 

 and perfectly coloured. One may feed and force a plant so as to in- 

 duce it to produce large and showy fruit, but unless the treatment is 

 so regulated as to preserve the just equilibrium between the root which 

 serves as the mouth and the leaves which perform the functions of 

 digestive organs, there is no guarantee either for high colour or perfect 

 flavour, which generally go together. Still I say when fruit has not 

 an objectionably bad colour, and is not deficient in flavour, but has 

 size and symmetry much in advance of another which possesses higher 

 colour and better flavour, but is much inferior in size and symmetry, 

 I would certainly give the award in favour of the larger fruit. 



The next point on which I have to touch is flavour ; and here I 

 know there is a great diversity of opinion. Some hold that the begin- 

 ning and the end of all fruit culture is flavour ; no matter how large or 

 how small, or however badly coloured the fruit may be, if flavour is 

 obtained the grower has got all he has ever striven for. Now that is 

 very well when fruit is grown merely for private use ; and so long as 

 the palate is satisfied there is no other desire to be gratified ; but we 

 are now discussing the merits of exhibition fruit, into which the whole 

 energy of the cultivator is thrown to develope, not one, but every 

 feature of his production, and the greatest display of cultural skill is 

 to succeed in gratifying the mind as much through the eye as through 

 the palate. It is not to be supposed that I depreciate "flavour. On 

 the contrary, I consider it an important point in making awards to 



exhibition fruit ; but I think it ought only to come in when the com- 

 petition is otherwise so close that another point is required to turn the 

 scale. 



There is only one exception I would make on the question of flavour, 

 and that is in judging Melons, which, if they have not flavour, have 

 nothing whatever to recommend them. They may be Vegetable Mar- 

 rows, or Pumpkins, or any other vegetable production, if flavour is 

 absent ; and I think experience will testify that if the flavour of a 

 Melon is even but indifferent, then the fruit is not worth eating, and 

 hence I think all Melons ought to be cut, and judged by flavour only. 



Ix the report of the Rev. S. Reynolds Hole's paper on the Rose, at 

 page 65, he is made to say, " The best stock for the Rose was the 

 Manetti." His remarks were these : — ' : What is the best stock for the 

 Rose ? If you purpose to exhibit, grow it upon the Briar, and show 

 it the year after budding. If you desire a beautiful Rose garden, and 

 do not care to exhibit, grow a large proportion of your Rose trees on 

 their own roots. These are prettier, because more natural in form, 

 more abundant in flowers, more enduring, and therefore more econo- 

 mical. Some Roses attain their full perfection on the Manetti stock, 

 and all do well on it in our lighter soils." 



ROYAL HORTICULTURAL SOCIETY. 

 ArGrsT 3rd. 



It was probably owing to the great heat which has prevailed for the 

 last month that the subjects for which prizes were offered on this 

 occasion were but poorly represented, both in respect to number, and as 

 regards the variegated Pelargoniums, for the most part, in quality also. 

 The flowering specimens of the Nosegay and double-flowered varieties 

 were on the whole much better, although some of the former had suf- 

 fered greatly from the heat. The subjects brought before the Floral 

 Committee constituted the great attraction of the day, and the Council 

 room, where they were exhibited, presented an unusually gay appear- 

 ance for the end of the London season. 



In Class 1, for the best Golden- variegated Zonal (Tricolor) Pelar- 

 gonium, Messrs. E. G. Henderson & Son were first with the Rev. 

 E. R. Benyon, the plants very well grown and finely coloured. The 

 second prize went to Mr. Mann, Brentwood, for Gold Crown with a 

 dark zone flushed with bright rose. The third prize was taken by 

 Mr. Stevens with small plants of Ealing Rival. 



Class 2 was for one Silver- variegated Zonal (Tricolor) Pelargonium. 

 The first prize went to Messrs. E. G. Henderson & Son for well- 

 grown plants of Lass o' Gowrie ; the second to Mr. Turner, for Mrs. 

 Rousby ; and the third to Mr. C. Edmonds, Hayes Nursery, for Hayes 

 Rival. Mr. Mann exhibited Leader ; Mr. Turner Miss Pond and 

 Princess of Wales. 



In Class 3, one Gold and Bronze (Bicolor) Zonal, Messrs. Downie, 

 Laird, & Laing were first with Imperatrice Eugenie, one of their high- 

 coloored kinds. Mr. Cannell, of Woolwich, was second with Annie 

 Keeler. 



In Class 5, one Silver-edged Pelargonium, Mr. Turner, who was the 

 only exhibitor, wis first with May Queen ; and in Class 6, one Ivy- 

 leaved Pelargonium, Mr. Turner was also first with Conipactum, a 

 neat-growing white variegated kind. 



Class 7 was for one Nosegay Pelargonium in flower. The first prize 

 was taken by Mr. G. Smith, Tollington Nursery, with Mr. Gladstone. 

 Mr. Cannell was second with Master Christine, awarded a first-class 

 certificate on June Sth, the plants being the same as those exhibited 

 on that occasion, and still in good bloom. No third prize was given. 



In Class 8, for one Zonal Pelargonium in flower, Mr. Mann was 

 first with Lord Derby, and Mr. George, gardener to Miss Nicholson, 

 second with Annihilator. The best double -flowered Pelargoniums 

 shown in Class 9 were Marie Lemoine from Messrs. Downie & Co., 

 and Madame Lemoine from Mr. Mann. These were good specimens. 



Frtht Coinm-TEE. — G. F. Wilson, Esq., F.R.S., in the chair. 

 Prizes were offered at this meeting for the best dish of early Plums. 

 Mr. Douglas, of Loxford Hall, Hford, sent Early Green Gage ; Mr. 

 Beasley, of Ecton Hall, sent Early Orleans ; Mr. Roberts, of Holwood, 

 Beckenham, sent Early Prolific ; Mr. Gilbert, of Burghley, sent 

 Early Violet, and Myrobalan ; and Mr. Porter, Syon Lodge, Isle- 

 worth, sent Early Morocco, and Early Orleans. Mr. Douglas was 

 awarded the first prize ; and the second fell to Mr. Porter. Dishes of 

 McLaughlin, a large form of Green Gage. Woolston Black Gage, and 

 Perdrigon Violet Hatif, were sent from the Society's garden at 

 Chiswick, all of which elicited the approval of the Committee. Mr. 

 Gilbert, of the gardens, Burghley, sent a dish of Brown Turkey, re- 

 markably well grown, but deficient in flavour. Mr. Gilbert also sent 

 fine fruit of Noblesse Peach, which was of excellent flavour, and of 

 Moorpark Apricot, also highly flavoured. 



Mr. Dodds, gardener to Sir G. Smyth, Ashton Court, Bristol, sent a 

 seedling Nectarine, which is said to be fourteen days later than Elruge. 

 The Committee were of opinion that the fruit bore a strong resem- 

 blance to Violette native ; but in the absence of a knowledge of the 

 flowers and leaves, the identity could not be settled. Mr. J. McLaren, 

 of Ash, Surrey, sent a dish of fruit of his Prolific Raspberry, which re- 

 ceived a first-class certificate last year, and which was this year com- 

 mended on account of its flavour. Mr. Stowe, of Farnborougb, sent 



