T November 22, 1888. J 
JOURNAL OF HORTICULTURE AND COTTAGE GARDENER. 
461 
TVT OYEMBER, is a month in which many cultivators are rewarded 
1\ for the productions of their skill as placed in competition at 
public exhibitions. These comprise Chrysanthemums mainly, yet 
iby no means exclusively, for many other plants, such as those 
•grown for table decoration as well as for furnishing conservatories 
■effectively, are awarded prizes at autumn shows, while a great 
number of awards are made for various kinds of fruit and vege¬ 
tables. But although the rewards are numerous, and in the vast 
majority of cases well deserved, yet the disappointments are im¬ 
measurably greater in number, for the sufficient reason that there 
are far more blanks than prizes in public exhibitions, and the 
greater and closer the competition, the greater the number of 
contendents who must perforce fail to get into the charmed circle 
of prizewinners. It is not in human nature to be joyous in the 
moment of defeat, but most of those who sustain it accept the 
fact manfully, note the points of superiority against them, recog' 
nise the deficiencies in their own produce, and resolve to overcome 
them and to win next time. That is a spirit which all admire, and 
no men are more popular at shows than those who win the repu¬ 
tation of being good losers ; and then, when these win, as they are 
sure to do sooner or later, if skilful and persevering, they receive 
the heartiest of congratulations on their triumphs. Some exhibitors 
there are who cannot brook defeat, and can never feel they have 
deserved it, though the fact may stand out bold and clear to un _ 
prejudiced on-lookers who are capable of arriving at a just decision 
on th i matter. 
At most shows there is a disposition on the part of the losers 
•of prizes to accept with dignity the verdicts of the judges, though 
there are occasionally exceptions. These are fewer than formerly 
due, probably, to a becoming self-restraint in a moment of dis¬ 
appointment, and, it may be, in part to the greater care that is 
taken by show officials to appoint adjudicators whose experience 
renders them capable of arriving at just decisions. Undoubtedly it 
is most important that judges should be competent, independent of 
all local influences, and careless of all personal consequences re¬ 
sulting from the awards, regarding nothing but their own repu¬ 
tations, that can only be sustained by an unswerving adherence to 
the high principles of doing what they believe is right in each 
case. When they do this, and because they do it, they are assailed 
by disappointed men in the reverse of courteous terms, and by 
spiteful pettifogging acts they feel that the strongest compliment 
is paid to them, and their character as adjudicators is the more 
wi lely appreciated. The abuse of judges of repute by exhibitors 
who cannot accept defeat gracefully usually affects prejudicially 
the latter and not the former. 
It is not suggested that the most experienced of adjudicators—■ 
men whose verdicts are rarely questioned, except by an occasional 
bad loser, are incapable of making mistakes—of overlooking a 
small fault in one thing, and slightly over-estimating a merit in 
another. If that were so there would be no new trials in judi¬ 
cature, nor verdicts reversed on appeal. The best of judges are 
liable to err, because they are human ; but the greater the special 
knowledge they possess on the subjects before them, and the 
greater their field of observation and comparison, with the training 
of the eye and the mind, resulting from much practice, the less 
they are liable to be misled into recording wrong decisions ; and if 
No. 439. —Vol. XVII., Third Series. 
by chance they err, or are thought to have erred, they do not 
hesitate to re-examine any exhibit when requested to do so by show 
officials, as the result of a formal and suitable protest in writing 
from an exhibitor. Protests respectfully made are respectfully 
entertained, and this fact obviates recourse to the vulgar practice of 
pestering, not to say abusing, men when engaged in their duties, 
and who have only one object and desire in view—namely, to do 
what is strictly fair to all. The unfortunate habit alluded to is 
much less prevalent chan formerly, but is not yet quite extinct. 
Judges of recognised standing are fully alive to the responsibili¬ 
ties of their position, and their duties are sufficiently onerous 
without the worrying they have sometimes to endure from 
exhibitors who are hunting for honours, which, for whatever 
reason, cannot be granted. These remarks apily more particularly 
to what may be fairly termed advertising exhibitors. They bring 
articles of various kinds to shows, not with the object of adding to 
the interest of or supporting those shows, but for taking orders, and 
hence, as far as possible, enriching themselves. To this the judges 
at the same shows can have no possible objection so long as they 
are not interfered with, but they object to being followed and 
solicited with irrepressible importunity for certificates for enhancing 
the value of their wares. In the majority of cases they have no 
authority for doing anything of the kind suggested, and in some 
have no means of knowing the merits of articles exhibited, as these 
can only be ascertained by comparative experiments extending over 
a period of months. Judges complain seriously of the present 
condition of things in the respect indicated ; and the time has 
arrived when the relative positions of enterprising tradesmen at 
shows, the officials, and the judges should be clearly defined. The 
former should be told whether or not honours are provided for such 
exhibits as theirs. If they are, the judges will as readily do their 
duty as in other classes ; if they are not, appeals to adjudicators 
should cease as out of place, and disappointments on both sides 
would be averted. A judge at a not unimportant show has made 
the statement that he was so “pestered” by an advertising show¬ 
man that he “ gave him a certificate to get rid of him.” That 
admission is somewhat startling. The judge defended his action 
on the ground that he relied on the statement of an authority as to 
the excellence of the article ; but all the same, the right and honest 
way of registering the honour in question would be, “ This certifi¬ 
cate was granted to Mr. Cheeky for pestering !” 
Stress has been laid on the importance of engaging experienced 
judges as a means of imparting confidence in the justice of the 
awards, and hence for reducing possible disappointments to a mini¬ 
mum, as it is a proved fact that losers accept the verdicts of men 
of national repute better than those of others less known, how¬ 
ever competent they may be. Do not let it be understood, 
however, that the engagement of the “ older hands ” only is advo¬ 
cated. Nothing of the kind is suggested ; on the contrary, it is 
most desirable that younger men should share in the work, as the 
supply of men who “know their business ” in this matter is by no 
means in excess of requirements, and there is further the possi¬ 
bility that some of the new men may with a little practice not only 
equal but surpass the old, and these will then readily stand aside. 
The great point to secure is efficiency, regardless of age or the 
particular calling of individuals. Some disappointed mortal occa¬ 
sionally derives comfort in proposing that a particular class of men 
should not act.as judges, but this only seems to increase the en¬ 
gagements of the class they would proscribe. The truth is, exhi¬ 
bitors and show officials have no fads, but search for men who have 
given evidence of their capacity for doing what is required, and 
they will continue to do so. 
It may, or may not, be desirable to change judges. That is a 
question for committees to decide. A proved mistake in an im 
portant class commonly leads to a change ; and in some cases 
changes are made because a desire is felt to try fresh men without 
in the least mistrusting the old. Occasionally men not far distant 
No. 2095 .—Vol, LXXIX., Old Series. 
