THE PROGEESS OF FLORICULTURE. 
545 
general centre of the flower, than which 
nothing can be worse, and we need hardly say 
that if three blooms could not be obtained 
with perfect centres, a variety should not 
by any means be noticed at all. But the 
judges, seeing more seedlings shown than ever 
had been seen at once before, felt that they 
must award a few prizes, and so they did, but 
in vain might they have looked for any that 
deserved such notice. There were vei-y few 
that came up to mediocrity, none that passed 
it. The show at which these novelties were 
exhibited, was entirely influenced by the 
growers, and there were many first-class prizes 
awarded to flowers that will rarely be seen in 
a stand, and if they are, they will disparage it. 
What we are now saying of the Dahlia applies 
to every other flower, and we select this par- 
ticular subject, chiefly on account of its popu- 
larity and dearness, for although it is grown 
less generally than it was at one time, there 
are still some thousands of pounds change 
hands every year. The public will this year, 
or rather next year, have a hundred-and-fifty 
varieties called new, and charged for as new, 
with such tempting descriptions that enthu- 
siasts will be puzzled to select the best, and if 
they were to buy and grow all, the chances 
are that they would not retain half-a-dozen, 
certainly not a dozen, the second year. Of 
those which have had prizes at the different 
shows, very little that is at all favourable can 
be said of them ; there are, in fact, better 
flowers that have had no such distinction. 
Perhaps no year has been distinguished less 
by distinct novelty, but we would rather see 
an old favourite beat in form than a distinct 
novelty less perfect ; yet a decided novel colour 
is an excuse for a second-rate form, until we 
can get a better. The style of flower approach- 
ing Keyne's Standard of Perfection is certainly 
on the increase, but the worst of it is, so many 
of them are deficient in the eye, and that is a 
fault from which the Standard itself is not 
exempt, and it goes a long way towards making 
it uncertain. The time has come when no- 
thing worse than that among cupped flowers, 
and nothing worse than Princess Radziwill as 
a reflexed flower, should be deemed first-rate, 
or have a first-class prize. It has the worst 
possible effect on the general interests, though 
it may for a time help individuals to pass off" 
indifferent varieties as worthy of notice. It 
may tell a little in present receipts, but must 
operate against the future ; besides which, it 
inundates the gardens with subjects of a lower 
quality, and the seedlings from them are less 
likely to advance. The public eye, too, will 
get familiar with inferior forms of flowers, 
reconciled to a lower class of productions. 
Doubtless, if there had been second-class 
prizes to give to second-class flowers, many 
49. 
that have now had first would have had second ; 
but there being no such distinction, the judges, 
calculating on the fact that the more prizes 
they give the more growers they please, and 
having no choice but to give first-class certifi- 
cates or none, err always on the liberal side 
as to quantity, though too often they also err 
in selection, by trying to distinguish particular 
varieties among scores that are all bad alike. 
Under these ciiT-umstances, it is clear that the 
abandonment of second-class prizes for new 
flowers is an evil that is rapidly extending 
itself, simply because the judges, having in 
general no character to support as judges, act 
good-naturedly, and if appointed fiom among 
dealers, injudiciously award undeserved certi- 
ficates of merit, for — 
" A fellow feeling makes us wondrous kind." 
The abandonment of second-class prizes, with- 
out the firmness to refuse prizes altogether, is 
exemplified by the growers themselves, who* 
even this year are Advertizing flowers that 
obtained first-class prizes, at a second-class 
price. This is honest on their part, but it is 
a sad rebuke on the judges who could so far 
forget themselves, or were so unqualified for 
the task, as to give to a flower an artificial 
value, that even the owner is ashamed to take 
advantage of. And this leads us to the second 
cause of the progress of floriculture being 
retarded ; carelessness in the appointment of 
judges at horticultural shows. This is, per- 
haps, the greatest evil that floriculture labours 
under. It is not only necessary that men 
should be qualified for the office, but they 
should not be dealers, that they may have to 
care " who Avins and who loses," nor be depen- 
dent on the caprice or fancy of any body. 
The most gross partiality is exercised at many 
shows ; the dealer helps up his best customer, 
and the best customer helps the dealer as 
almost a matter of course, whenever judges 
are appointed by the exhibitors themselves. It 
is not our business here to mention names, 
but at a show held in London, or rather in 
the metropolis, in September, there was the 
most unblushing, unjustifiable, and palpable 
injustice done in several classes and sweep- 
stakes, that the oldest adept in floricultire 
ever saw. Our business, however, is only 
with general principles, not people. Judges 
ought to be known as such, paid as such, and 
be responsible as such ; men who have some 
reputation as judges, and, above all, not 
dealei's, nor dependent on dealers. Good gar- 
deners are not necessainly good judges. A 
man may have his particular notions and par- 
tialities warped a good deal by the nature of 
the place he fills, but a judge should be alto- 
gether above this. He should be accustomed 
to exhibitions, and not a mere grower of pnr- 
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