660 Lessons of the Imperial Fruit Show, 1921. [Oct., 



of measuring results is clearly unsatisfactory because of the 

 fluctuations of the market and the many factors which influence 

 the price obtained. At the Imperial Fruit Show, however, 

 growers were able to see their boxes of apples staged alongside 

 those sent from other parts of the country and to compare the 

 results of their efforts with those of others. The comparisons 

 in some cases were pleasing, in others less so, but in the 

 latter cases the road for improvement in the future was clearly 

 evident to those wishing to see and travel along it. 



But the comparison of the boxes of fruit was not the only 

 way in which exhibitors could find, out their defects or merits, 

 for there was a fairiv efficient barometer which could be studied 

 with advantage by all, namely, the score-card compiled by the 

 Judges. Each exhibit was given marks for the fruit, and for 

 the way in which it was graded, packed, and presented. It 

 was important that growers should know exactly the marks 

 they received for their exhibits, and the Ministry therefore 

 sent to each exhibitor a detailed account of the marks awarded 

 for his particular exhibit — a piece of work which was favour- 

 ably commented upon by growers. Every exhibitor therefore 

 knows exactly what were his strong and his weak points at 

 the last Show, and this information should assist in raising 

 the standard of exhibits this year. It is not necessary or even 

 possible in this article to deal with any special exhibit, but 

 a comparison of the average marks obtained in the three 

 Sections as shown in the following table may be of interest : — 



Statement Showing Average Marks Awarded in the Kent, 

 Eastern Counties and Y^est Midlands Commercial Sections 

 OF THE Imperial Fruit Show of 1921, Expressed as 

 Percentages of the Maximum M\re:s Obtainable. 



Score Card. 



Section. 



Best 

 Commer- 

 cia] Size. 



Colour, 

 finish. 

 Skin 

 Quality. 



GonrliTion: 

 Soinidiipss, 



firnniess, 



froecion! 

 from 



bleniisli. 



flavour, 

 quality of 



Apples. 



rniform- 

 ity of 

 colour ar.d 

 size. 



Q)unlitv of 

 Pack. 



General 

 appearance 

 of entry. 



Tntnl 

 Points. 



Kent 



Eastern Counties 

 West Midlands 



per c<-nt. 

 90 

 SO 



80 



per cent. 

 80 

 73 



SO 



per c( nt. 

 80 

 7G 

 76 



per (•en^ 

 ^0 



7:5 



— r) 

 t .> 



per cent. 



It'-r cent. 

 80 

 80 

 60 



per cent. 

 81 

 76 

 7! 



It will be observed that pride of place is taken by the Kent 

 section. This is by no means surprising when it is remembered 



