liv PROCEEDINGS OF THE ROYAL HORTICULTURAL SOCIETY. 



PRELIMINARY EXAMINATION. 

 April 26, 1919- 



Three hundred and sixty-two candidates entered for the Preliminary 

 Examination held on April 26, 1919. Of these 14 obtained a first 

 class, 84 a second, and 157 a third, leaving 78 failures, and 29 

 absentees. 



The Examiners, Mr. F. J. Chittenden, F.L.S., V.M.H., Mr. E. R. 

 Janes, Mr. C. R. Fielder, V.M.H., Mr. C. W. Mayhew, and Mr. C. 

 Wakely, report that, except in Question 6, there were few really good 

 answers. For the most part they were vague, and in many cases the 

 Examiners were led to doubt the extent of a candidate's knowledge 

 of practical horticulture. The following are some of the criticisms of 

 the Examiners : 



Speaking generally, candidates still disregard the wording of the 

 questions. 



A large number either failed entirely to understand the simpler 

 facts of food-making, or, by means of simple experiments suitable for 

 children of school age, to demonstrate the part that the green leaf 

 plays in the making of the plant's food. 



Many candidates confused the terms " tillage " and " tilth." 



The methods of improving heavy land by ridging and draining, 

 and the application of lime and littery manure, were generally under- 

 stood, but many answers were of such length that candidates had not 

 time to deal with light soils adequately. 



It was remarkable how few of the candidates associated deep- 

 working with the improvement of light soils, though the value of 

 humus-forming material and surface cultivation in summer was 

 appreciated. It was in respect to the chemical improvement of soils 

 that the scantiest information was offered. 



In reply to question 3, few candidates realized the danger of the 

 spread of disease amongst overcrowded plants. 



The difficulty of obtaining seeds from certain plants was not 

 understood. Many fell into the common error of stating that " plants 

 raised from cuttings are stronger and healthier than those raised from 

 seeds." 



A fairly good idea of the principles of cropping was shown, but 

 the frequent appearance of a plan which had evidently been memorized 

 from a text-book, rather than an original individually thought-out 

 scheme, was disappointing. The principles of rotation were, on the 

 whole, well understood, but their application to the plan was weak. 



The " principles " of grafting were not understood. In question 9 

 there was a general lack of clearness as to the control of transpiration, 

 and too much stress was laid on the use of chemical manures. 



July 1, 1919. 



W. Wilks, Secretary. 



