162 THE ORCHID REVIEW. [JUNE, 1912. 
But in spite of the magnificent display of Orchids we confess to a 
feeling of disappointment in the number of unfilled classes, for which 
ample material was available. Some of the exhibitors appear to have 
limited their efforts to making one splendid display, with the result that a 
few of the groups were too big. It was too much like a Temple Show 
on an enlarged scale—except that there was plenty of room to move about. 
We had hoped that the numerous valuable prizes offered would have 
produced a good competition, but for some mysterious reason this was not 
the case. Whether the competitive classes were generally too big or the 
period of the Show too long—on both of which we heard opinions ex- 
pressed—we cannot say, but even the classes for such popular subjects as 
Odontoglossums and for Cochlioda hybrids were, as far as we could 
ascertain, blank, in spite of the quantities in which these plants were 
shown. Even where there was competition some of the groups in the 
same class were not staged together, while in other cases different groups, 
even by the same exhibitor, were staged without any appreciable dividing 
line, making it very difficult to identify and compare them. Even the Jury 
must have felt the difficulty, for one or two groups were missed altogether, 
as was commented on after the Show opened. As for the schedule the 
only one that we could obtain indicated, not the groups actually present, 
or even entered, but only those that might have been there. It was 
consequently useless. 
We are not alone in suggesting that some of the groups were too big, 
for the opinion was expressed by one of the most successful exhibitors, 
who very aptly remarked that there was such an amount of individuality in 
Orchids that the detail was lost in the over-large groups staged. We had 
hoped to see a good competition in several special classes, and some 
examples of good culture, but these classes were largely ignored. A few 
such groups were present, but the majority of the really fine plants were 
lost in a mass of miscellaneous things arranged solely for effect. 
As regards tasteful arrangement within the groups themselves the effect 
generally was excellent, also the quality and culture of the exhibits, but it 
is matter for regret that exhibitors, and especially amateurs, did not enter 
into a more spirited competition in the competitive classes, in which so 
many valuable prizes were offered. So much for a few general impressions, 
for the details themselves we must refer readers to the special report of 
the Show. In this we have endeavoured to follow the Schedule of Prizes 
as far as possible, but owing to the Jarge number of blanks, and the great 
preponderance of miscellaneous groups staged not for competition, the idea 
has been difficult to carry out. : 
