October 20, 1892. ] 
JOURNAL OF HORTICULTURE AND COTTAGE GARDENER. 
359 
and this allows 7 inches per bloom in each direction, being 1 inch 
more than at present. It seems to me very desirable to allow the same 
space for the blooms in each direction. 
On the Size of Boards. 
BY MR. W. HERBERT FOWLER. 
The subject seems to me to divide itself into three heads :— (1) Is 
any change necessary ? (2) If necessary, how large should the new 
boards be? (3) The best way of carrying out the change. 
In considering the first point we have several things which may aid us 
in coming to a decision. I think few will deny the fact that a large number 
of the public who come to the shows are asking for a move in the 
direction of larger boards and more room for the blooms, thus giving 
them a better chance than at present for critical examination. Then 
we have the judges to consider. Is it possible for them at present 
to see anything but a part of the flowers without taking them out 
of the stands for examination 1 The enthusiastic grower will surely 
welcome a change, so that all his flowers will be seen, instead of the 
front row and the tops of the middle and back rows. 
I think that for forty-eight or even thirty-six distinct Japs, the 
present boards would perhaps carry the blooms without doing them any 
great injustice, but for all the smaller classes—viz., the sixes, twelves, 
eighteens, and twenty-fours, I am strongly of opinion that the present 
size is quite inadequate to carry the large varieties which are now grown. 
I daresay some will meet this movement with the argument that the 
present regulations allow of any size board being used for Japanese blooms, 
and why, therefore, make any compulsory change ? I think the answer 
to this is simply this. If an exhibitor uses a larger board than the 
ordinary one he at once places himself at a great disadvantage with 
others who use the regulation one, because his stand if at all equal with 
the others will appear to be much lighter. The general effect of a 
crowded stand is to give weight to the stand and vice versa—e.g., take 
twelve blooms and stage them on the regulation board, and then take 
them out and try a board 65 inches between the tubes, and you will be 
surprised to see how much lighter the same blooms appear to be. 
Another reason I should give in favour of enlarging the boards is 
that I think it would induce exhibitors to abstain from using extra 
wires and endeavouring as far as possible to make all the blooms 
touch each other. If more space be given it would be more difficult 
to spread out blooms in an unnatural way in order to get a false 
appearance of “ weight.” Such practices would then be much easier 
to detect. Whilst I am in favour of an enlarged board I am strongly 
of opinion that whatever the sized board agreed upon may be should 
be the one used at all exhibitions of the Society for Japanese blooms. 
The regulation which permits exhibitors to use any sized board for 
Japanese blooms should be withdrawn and one standard size fixed. 
This will put all exhibitors on the same footing, and greatly assist 
the judges in their work. Although I am strongly in favour of an 
enlarged board, I am against going too far and attempting to introduce 
a monster board which would have a poor chance of being taken up 
and becoming popular with exhibitors. I have made several experiments, 
and in 1890 I adopted 26 inches by 19£ inches as the size of my twelve- 
bloom boards ; this allows 64 inches from centre to centre of each tube. 
If, however, the majority think that it should be larger than this I do 
sincerely trust they will not go beyond 7 inches—viz., 28 inches by 
21 inches for the twelve board. It will, I think, be found by experi¬ 
ment that a board 27 inches by 19£ inches will carry even the small 
classes without doing injustice to the flowers. Another reason against 
making the boards too large is that it would involve a serious addition 
to the space necessary to stage a large number of flowers ; and again, 
it would work very badly in the mixed classes if one had to stage the 
Japs on one sized board and the incurved on another. I trust we shall 
soon see an end of these classes, as they are in all respects unsatisfactory. 
Now we come to the third point, “ The best means of carrying out 
the alteration.” I think that the ordinary box is a complete mistake, 
and I would advise all beginners and those whose old boxes are worn 
out to adopt the travelling box instead. By this I mean a box with 
fixed tubes in it, in which the tubes holding the blooms are dropped. 
The stands for setting up the blooms are carried separately, and the 
blooms transferred to them on arrival at the show. There are many 
advantages in this plan. In the first place you can give much more 
room to each bloom, then you need not fear the effect of a leaky tube, 
there is no risk of a leg of a stand getting loose and coming down and 
cutting a bloom in half, and the side blooms will not suffer against 
the box in a long railway journey, as they often do with the old- 
fashioned box. 
Discussion. 
An interesting discussion followed. Mr. William Drover, 
Fareham, showed an exhibition board which he had made, and which 
was of the following dimensions :—28 inches by 21 inches, 3 inches in 
the front and 8 inches at the back in height, and 7 inches from the 
centre of each hole. Mr. Drover said that when he was first asked 
about the size that should be adopted for exhibition boards for Japanese 
blooms, he was of opinion that the usual sized board would do ; 
but, on further consideration, he thought that a larger stand would be 
advisable. 
Mr. W. H. Fowler proposed, “That the size of the boards for 
Japanese blooms for the future be 27 inches by 19J inches, and that all 
Japanese blooms be for the future exhibited on such size stands only.” 
Mr. Whittle seconded the proposition. 
Mr. C. Gibson moved as an amendment: “ That the size of the 
boards for Japanese blooms be that recommended by Mr. Drover—viz., 
28 inches by 21 inches, 3 inches in front and 8 inches at the back in 
height, and 7 inches from the centre of each hole.” He thought that 
this size was not at all too large. The blooms would be larger at next 
month’s shows, and a board of the size proposed by Mr. Drover would 
enable the public to see the beauty of the blooms and also render the 
task of the judges easier. Mr. H. Cannell seconded the amendment. 
Mr. Ballantine, in supporting the amendment, thought it best to 
go the full length rather than have any half measures. It has been 
very clearly proved that some change is necessary. The time has come, 
he said, when exhibitors should change the size of the board, and it 
would be the better plan to adopt a size which will meet the wants of 
the future as well as of to-day. Mr. Fowler’s board (27 by 19£) would 
do for the blooms we now have ; but if we made the size 28 inches by 
21 inches it would meet all the wants of the present day. He had 
pleasure in supporting the amendment proposed, that the size of board 
for Japanese blooms should be 28 inches by 21 inches, and that that limit 
should be compulsory. 
Mr. Moorman supported the amendment, but observed that there 
was nothing new in the size board proposed by Mr. Drover. It had 
been used in 1879 at Southampton, in 1882 and 1883 in the Boyal 
Aquarium, and at Kingston and other places. 
Mr. Richings also spoke in favour of the amendment. He said that 
as at present staged it was impossible to see the full beauty of the 
blooms or to discover any defects. In fairness, therefore, to the 
exhibitors and to the public it was most essential that each bloom 
should stand out on its own merits, and that the judges should be 
able to see each bloom. He had not heard one argument advanced 
why the size of the boards should not be increased. 
Mr. Rowbottom referred to the desirability of increasing the 
height of the present board at the back. 
Mr. Fowler thought that the height should be left to the exhibitor. 
At the present time the board used was only 6 inches in height at the 
back. As they were not allowed to put the boards higher they put the 
blooms higher instead. 
Mr. Falconer Jameson observed that exhibitors might avoid a 
great deal of the expense which would be caused by a change in the 
standard size of boxes by using their old trays and boxes for carrying 
the flowers to and from the shows. 
Mr. D. B. Crane was in favour of the board proposed by Mr. 
Fowler. He thought it would meet all the requirements of blooms that 
are exhibited at the present day. He considered that it was most essen¬ 
tial that there should be a regular sized board, and in the arrangement 
of the blooms on the board he was in favour of uniformity. 
Mr. H. J. Jones referred to the importance of considering the 
distance that should be decided on between the holes in the boards. He 
was in favour of fixing this distance at 7 inches from centre to centre. 
Mr. Harman Payne spoke in the interests of amateurs, cottage 
growers, and persons of that class, contending that as they are quite 
unable to produce very large blooms, if a larger exhibition board is 
insisted on, their somewhat smaller flowers will look rather absurd on 
such boards. He thought it would be well to add a clause or condition 
that in the amateur and cottagers’ classes the larger board should not be 
compulsory. The ordinary amateur grower would not, he thought, be 
able to fill the new board. 
Mr. Ballantine explained that the whole question would have to 
go before the General Committeee of the Society—the Committee being 
bound to form its own rules. 
The amendment in favour of Mr. Drover’s sized board was then put 
to the meeting and carried by about 38 to 7. 
A hearty vote of thanks to the Chairman and to each of the readers 
of the papers closed the proceedings. 
ROYAL HORTICULTURAL SOCIETY. 
October 18th. 
Considering the time of year there was an excellent display at 
the Drill Hall, Westminster, on the above date. Orchids were not 
particularly numerous, but cut flowers and foliage plants were well 
shown. As regards fruit it is seldom that such a fine display can be seen 
on these occasions. 
Fruit Committee. —Present : P. Crowley, Esq. (in the chair) ; 
with Rev. W. Wilks, Dr. Hogg, Messrs. John Lee, T. F. Rivers, 
W. Warren, T. J. Saltmarsh, J. Willard, H. Balderson, J. Hudson, 
G. Wythes, G. Sage, A. H. Pearson, G. Taber, A. Dean, Harrison Weir, 
and J. Wright. 
There wa 3 a splendid display of fruit in the hall, such as not many 
years ago would have been thought impossible, and justice could only be 
done to the collections by awarding several valuable medals. These 
collections half filled the building. 
The first products placed on the Committee table were from Messrs. 
Cooper, Taber, & Co., Witham, Essex. A new American Golden Melon, 
ovate and smaller than the Queen Anne’s Pocket Melon, though not so 
good ; the Vegetable Peach Melon, also small, but round and better. 
The season was really too late for these miniatures. Messrs. Cooper, 
Taber & Co. also sent fruits of the Japanese Pole Cucumber, so called 
because the plants are said to be supported by poles ; it is of the ridge 
character, and said to be very free ; also very fine samples of Worcester 
Pearmain Apples (vote of thanks). 
Messrs. Dicksons & Co., Edinburgh, sent a dish of James Grieve 
