XI EXHIBITING 233 



should now be "pointed," i.e. judged by points. 

 Minus one, nought, one, two, three, or in rare cases 

 four points should be awarded to each bloom, 

 according to merit, one of the judges suggesting 

 the number of points to each, the others assenting 

 or dissenting and one noting the number of points 

 totalled. 



The first thing to be done is to choose and agree 

 upon a certain Rose worth three points to serve as 

 a standard. This is important : being useful not 

 only for reference in cases of disagreement, but also 

 in the large classes of forty-eight or seventy-two 

 to prevent the standard becoming insensibly depre- 

 ciated. Pointing generally begins with the back 

 row and from left to right : boxes are often set up 

 in the same order, and the exhibitor would naturally 

 put his worst blooms in last, which would therefore 

 be at the right hand of the lower row. At any 

 rate, considerably smaller and weaker blooms will 

 generally be found in the front row, and the judges 

 must take care that their standard remains un- 

 altered ; the fall in the scale is often very gradual, 

 but a frequent reference to the chosen standard, 

 which one of the judges should carry in its 

 tube, will prevent any lowering or raising of the 

 ideal. 



In cases of equality, or when in a large class only 

 a point or two of difference is found between two 

 stands, it is well to " point " them over again, 

 beginning at the other end of each. If still there 

 is little difference, taking the boxes down and 

 holding them with their long sides touching, in 

 closer juxtaposition, will sometimes throw additional 

 light on the matter. Comparing each bloom with 



