514 JOURNAL OF THE ROYAL HORTICULTURAL SOCIETY. 



managers of exhibitions, who are often placed in positions of 

 great difficulty in filling the blanks thus created. 



All thoughtful persons will admit the reasonableness of the 

 following points (or they would if they were responsible for the 

 management of a show) : — 



(1) State on the entry form as exactly as possible the amount 

 of space required where space is not stipulated, as it is in many 

 classes. 



(2) Post all entries before the date mentioned for receiving 

 them and not after, as is unfortunately too common — at least so 

 say many secretaries. 



(3) They also say, as they are fully entitled, that every 

 exhibitor when he finds he cannot fulfil his entry should at once 

 " wire "to that effect. This would contribute to the peace of 

 mind of the officials, and prevent blanks that it is often 

 impossible to fill at the last moment. It is feared, and in fact 

 stated, that some exhibitors are smart enough to wire when it 

 is to the advantage of themselves, but slow to move in preventing 

 inconvenience to others. 



(4) When new or rare plants are exhibited it is instruc- 

 tive when practicable to give their native habitats. It is 

 conceivable, however, that this might occasionally be thought 

 too " instructive " to some enterprising explorer. When new 

 fruits are submitted for the first time, particulars of the site and 

 soil in which they were grown, also the character of the trees, is 

 information that the examiners like to have before them. W T hen 

 new varieties of plants, fruits, or vegetables result from cross- 

 fertilisation the parentage is usually given — even if it is some- 

 times guessed at. 



(5) Entries made by private gardeners should contain the 

 name (or title) and full address of the owner of the produce, 

 signed by the entrant in each case. Cards are very imperfectly 

 filled at some shows, through the omission or illegibility of 

 either the name of the owner or gardener, or the address of 

 either. Some secretaries, who desire to fill in the cards properly, 

 can only do so by consulting horticultural directories, and not 

 always then ; while others do not try to obtain the requisite 

 information, but seem to like those methods the best which are 

 the easiest to carry out. 



(6) Every owner of the exhibited produce, as well as the 



