XI EXHIBITING 235 



be found in arrangement. I knew who the ex- 

 hibitors were, as I had seen them, but I did not 

 the least know which stand belonged to each. 

 Their style was the same, as they had been brought 

 up in the same school, and they were well known 

 as at that time of very nearly equal strength. Yet 

 one must have the cup and the other get no prize 

 at all. In my perplexity I mounted on the central 

 table in the tent, and took a careful bird's-eye view, 

 holding on by the pole. This confirmed me in my 

 previous idea that there was the slight shade of 

 difference that I had noticed at my second attempt : 

 I gave my judgment accordingly, and was most 

 sincerely pleased when I found the loser was quite 

 satisfied. I have since, on two or three occasions, 

 found the bird's-eye view useful compared with the 

 view of the depth of the blooms from the level of 

 the trays. 



Another very equal case was in a class for seventy- 

 two at a Northern show. I had the proper number 

 of two coadjutors this time, one being a very expe- 

 rienced and able Eosarian, and the other a local 

 man who was generally discreetly silent . We pointed 

 through both the best stands without any disagree- 

 ment except in the case of one bloom, where I was 

 for three points and my experienced friend for one 

 only. The third judge opened his mouth for the 

 first and only time, and gave his voice against me. 

 That decided the principal prize of the show, for we 

 found only one point of difference between the two 

 stands of seventy-two each, and if my view of that 

 one bloom had been acted on, the other seventy-two 

 would have won by one point. 



The silent judge played his part and did what was 



