790 



Imperial Fruit Show. 



[Dec, 



The Exhibition was visited by H.R.H. Prince Henry, who 

 displayed great interest in the exhibits of apples., in the demon- 

 strations of grading and packing, and cider making. Repre- 

 sentatives of many other countries visited the Show, notably 

 those from Egypt and Holland. 



Judging. — The judging of competitive exhibits of fruit, even 

 when a few judges only are engaged, is at all times a somewhat 

 difficult matter, and the employment of a large number of 

 judges such as was necessary in the case of a show of this 

 magnitude rendered it necessary to lay down certain rules for 

 their guidance, in order to secure uniformity of judging. Each 

 judge was supplied with a score card on which to record the 

 marks awarded to each exhibit. The score card read as 

 follows : — 



Fruit. — Best commercial size ... ... ... ... ... 10 



Colour, finish, skin quality ... ... ... ... 15 



Condition : — Soundness, firmness, freedom from blem- 

 ish, flavour quality of apple ... ... ... 25 



Uniformity of colour and size ... ... ... ... 15 



Pachinrj. — Quality of pack 30 



General appearance of entry ... ... 5 



100 



The work of the judges was organised by Mr. H. V. Taylor, 

 Deputy Controller of Horticulture, who asked the judges to 

 accept the term " best commercial size " as the size normal 

 to the variety. The judges were also asked not to award extra 

 points for any colouring which might have been specially 

 developed for exhibition purposes. It will be observed that the 

 score card includes the expression " flavour quality of apple." 

 This is a unique feature in a British score card, but its import- 

 ance is so great that its omission in the past is not easily 

 explained. 



The work of judging occupied three days, and on account of 

 the high standard of many of the exhibits the task was 

 extremely difficult, and in many cases before a decision could 

 be reached it w T as necessary to turn the apples out of their 

 boxes. It is very satisfactory, however, that in every case with 

 one exception a decision was arrived at by the judges them- 

 selves. The one case on which an agreement could not be 

 reached was in Class II of the British Empire Section. The 

 first prize in this section was awarded by the judges, but on 



