June, 1912.] 



527 



Horticulture. 



"herbaceous." Rule 186 says: "Such 

 plants as Carnations and Pinks are open 

 to disqualification under 'herbaceous,'" 

 They certainly do not die down in winter, 

 but are evergreen — and are, in fact, 

 dwarf, hardwooded, shrubby plants. 



8. Saladings. The following is a very 

 badly-worded class : Collection of Salads 

 — six distinct kinds." 



This is what was meant: "A collec- 

 tion of vegetables used for Salads." As 

 the class stood it might have been inter- 

 preted to require an exhibition of a 

 cook's art— six prepared salads — though 

 even then the words " distinct kinds " 

 are not clear, unless Lettuce salad, 

 Potato salad, Onion Salad, Cucumber 

 salad, Fruit salad, Asparagus salad, and 

 such like kinds are meant. 



Note also in passing that unless the 

 Schedule distinctly allows them to be 

 exhibited as fruits, Tomatos, though 

 fruit are accounted as vegetables, being 

 used nine-hundred and ninety-nine times 

 as such to once as fruit. Vegetable 

 Marrows, Pumpkins, Cucumbers are the 

 same. If it is desired to account any of 

 them as fruit, the Schedule must dis- 

 tinctly say so. 



Broadly considered, any vegetable 

 produce may be used as salading accord- 

 ing to the skill of the cook in preparing 

 it and the taste of the consumer. Potato, 

 salad, for example, is a great favourite 

 with many ; so too are Asparagus salads 

 with all who have tasted them, and 

 fruit salads are commoner than either. 

 But it is more than doubtful whether 

 any judges would allow Potatos and 

 Asparagus, and certainly not Raspber- 

 ries, Peaches, Pineapples, and Plums, to 

 be shown as "salad plants." It might 

 possibly be wise in future for Schedules, 

 instead of asking for salad plants or 

 saladings, to be worded, " vegetables 

 ordinarily used uncooked as salads " ; 

 this would exclude Potatos, Asparagus, 

 and Fruit; though it would leave a diffi- 

 culty with regard to Beet, which is 

 ordinarily cooked before being put on 

 salads. In Show-salads, however, the 

 Beet need not be cooked. 



9. Similar and Dissimilar. 



Some Schedule-makers love to use 

 words that are indefinite. What, for 

 instance, does the word "dissimilar." 

 so beloved of many, mean ? I take the 

 following at random: "Twelve Her- 

 baceous Plants Dissimilar," and "Nine 

 Asters Dissimilar." 



Now, it is evident that if, as I fancy, 

 China Asters are intended then dissim- 

 ilar can only mean " Different colours" ; 

 and, if so, does it only mean "different 

 colours" when applied to twelve her- 

 baceous plants? If, on the contrary, 

 it means something much more string- 

 ent as applied to herbaceous plants, 

 why does it not mean the same with 

 China Asters ?— and yet, how could 

 it? Would it not have been just as 

 easy to write " distinct colours," if that 

 is what is meant, or distinct varieties, 

 if that is meant, or " distinct kinds," if 

 that is intended ? As for " similar" and 

 " dissimilar," an exhibitor may well won- 

 der what the words mean. Are three 

 men differently dressed similar or dissi- 

 milar men ? Are three children— one 

 with a black, one with a white, and one 

 with a blue frock — similar or dissimilar 

 children ? They are certainly similar 

 men and similar children, but they are 

 dissimilarly dressed. And it is exactly 

 the same way with nine China Asters : 

 they are similar flowers of dissimilar 

 colour. Will you then, disqualify them 

 because they are from one point of view 

 " similar," or accept them because they 

 are from another poin^ of view "dis- 

 similar" ? Either action would be equally 

 defensible, I think. 



Much more could be said, but this is 

 enough to indicate some of the common- 

 est difficulties in Schedules ; and, taken 

 with the Rules for Judging, it may be 

 helpful. If any one should recognize 

 difficulties which they have personally 

 referred to me, I hope they will not 

 think this Paper a violation of confidence, 

 as no one knows whence the examples 

 cited come, or how often others have 

 fallen into precisely the same difficulties 

 as themselves. The making of a really 



