130 JOURNAL OF THE ROYAL HORTICULTURAL SOCIETY. 



are entrusted with the important work in question should be quite 

 independent of all local influences ; they must be men of intelli- 

 gence and high character ; of the strictest probity, absolute 

 impartiality, and who can completely banish from their minds 

 all thought of individuals, and concentrate their whole attention 

 on the produce before them, with the object of doing strict 

 justice to all. They must be prepared to incur displeasure, and 

 even abuse ; but if they act honestly, and make few or no 

 mistakes, the opposition of disappointed men will be lightly 

 regarded, and, instead of its having a weakening, will have a 

 strengthening effect on them as adjudicators. 



So much for men, and we now come to methods of judging. 

 Generally speaking, and for practical purposes, there are three 

 distinct forms of exhibits in a Chrysanthemum show : 



1. Groups of plants arranged for effect. 



2. Trained specimen plants. 



8. Cut blooms arranged in stands. 



No strict lines of guidance can be laid down for judging 

 groups. It is stated in many schedules that " quality and 

 general effect (or taste in arrangement) shall be the leading 

 features." Undoubtedly they must, for they are the only 

 features that can render a group meritorious. But in some 

 groups high quality of blooms predominates over tasteful asso- 

 ciation, and in others skill in arrangement predominates over 

 superiority of blooms. Where are we then ? In a dilemma, 

 and we look for means of escape by searching for faults, in the 

 hope of finding more of them in one exhibit than in another. 

 In a group superiority of blooms would lose weight in the 

 summing up of the plants, and especially if those near the 

 margin were to a large extent denuded of the foliage, or if the 

 leaves were small and discoloured. These are distinct draw- 

 backs, and mar the effect of an arrangement, however good the 

 blooms may be, as also do naked obtrusive stems. These are 

 much too prevalent, and there is the less excuse for them since 

 dwarf plants, with large deep-green foliage down to the pots, 

 and at the same time bearing good blooms, can be had by 

 selecting plants for cutting down in May, and raising others from 

 cuttings from well-chosen stems between April and August. Ex- 

 cellent marginal plants can thus be provided, and no pots need be 

 visible except in the front row, and these, if clean and small, are 



