JOURNAL  OF  HORTICULTURE  AND  COTTAGE  GARDENER. 
April  30,  l3&6. 
B88 
displays  of  the  richest  and  the  best  of  the  earth’s  products  afford 
centres  of  delight  to  thousands  of  visitors,  who  enjoy  them,  and 
more  and  more  of  whom  become  influenced  in  the  right  direction) 
as  sharing  in  or  helping  others  on  in  work  that  impresses  them  so 
favourably.  This  work — horticulture — and  its  pleasant  associa¬ 
tions  is  steadily  but  surely  progressing,  and  its  advancement  may 
be  expected  to  be  even  more  active  in  the  future  than  it  has  been 
in  the  past  in  some  of  its  varied  forms,  as  diffusing  itself  more 
freely  through  all  sections  of  the  community. 
A  few  months  ago  we  were  commissioned  to  suggest  that  the 
Royal  Horticultural  Society  might  be  able  to  devise  methods  for 
encouraging  in  a  more  direct  manner  than  heretofore  provincial 
work  of  the  nature  and  for  the  objects  indicated.  It  was  not 
implied  that  the  Society  did  not  regard  with  the  most  friendly 
and  sympathetic  interest  the  labours  and  the  success  of  provincial 
workers,  nor  was  any  other  feeling  manifested  than  that  whatever 
might  be  sent  from  the  provinces  to  London  was  dealt  with  fairly 
and  honourably.  At  the  same  time  it  was  felt  that  London  was 
afar  off,  that  the  R.H.S.  was  little  but  a  name  in,  and  quite  out  ot 
touch  with,  the  provinces  ;  and  it  was  thought  that  a  more  direct 
relationship  might  be  gradually  established  between  the  Central 
Society  and  some  of  the  chief  provincial  organisations  ;  also  that 
good  work  in  horticulture,  which,  for  obvious  reasons,  could  not  be 
seen  in  London,  should  be  in  some  way  officially  recognised  by  the 
admittedly  chief  horticultural  society  in  the  kingdom. 
We  have  reason  to  believe  that  the  main  proposition — some 
departure  from  its  ordinary  routine  in  the  direction  indicated — was 
at  once  favourably  entertained  by  the  Council  of  the  R.H.S.,  and 
eventually,  after  considering  various  methods  for  giving  practical 
effect  to  the  idea,  it  was  decided  to  act  by  direct  representation  of 
the  Society  at  one  or  two  provincial  shows  this  season,  possibly,  as 
may  be  fairly  assumed,  in  the  way  of  experiment.  It  seems  that 
as  soon  as  the  willingness  of  the  Council  was  made  known  to  send 
deputations  comprising  representatives  of  the  Board  and  Com¬ 
mittees,  but  without  prescribing  any  course  of  action,  invitations 
were  received  by  the  Council  from  York  and  Chester,  and  that 
these  invitations  were  accepted — York  in  June,  Chester  in  August 
— and  that  no  others  could  be  entertained  this  year. 
It  seems  especially  appropriate  that  the  first  exodus  of  the 
R.H.S.  should  be  to  the  ancient  and  historic  City  of  York,  because, 
as  has  been  previously  notified,  it  was  in  the  large  room  of  the 
excellent  horticultural  house,  Harker’s  Hotel,  that  the  question 
was  first  discussed,  on  the  occasion  of  the  last  show  ;  and  besides, 
the  York  exhibition  is  the  first  great  show  of  the  year  at  which 
fruits,  as  well  as  plants  and  flowers,  are  staged  in  competition  for 
prizes.  From  what  we  learn,  the  deputation  of  the  Royal  Horti¬ 
cultural  Society  is  likely  to  consist  of  ten  gentlemen,  including  the 
President  and  Secretary,  and  it  is  certain  they  will  receive  a 
hospitable  reception — indeed,  we  believe  the  President  and  Secre¬ 
tary  will  be  the  guests  of  the  Lord  Mayor  at  the  Mansion  House  ; 
while  the  other  visitors  will  probably  go  to  “  Harker’s.”  They  are 
to  be  the  guests  of  the  Society,  and  entertained  at  dinner  on  the 
evening  prior  to  the  show,  also  onwards  till  after  luncheon  in  the 
gala  field,  on  the  completion  of  the  judging.  On  both  occasions 
opportunities,  we  presume,  will  be  afforded  for  speeches  appropriate 
to  the  occasion,  as  we  have  not  heard  that  arrangements  have  been 
made  for  a  popular  meeting,  and  possibly  such  a  meeting  may  be 
impracticable  in  the  limited  time  at  disposal. 
The  deputation,  as  guests,  have,  of  course,  nothing  to  do  with 
the  arrangements,  but  will  simply  fall  in  line  with  the  programme, 
whatever  it  may  be.  Nor  is  it  expected  that  they  will,  in  the 
dispensation  of  the  R.H.S.’s  honours,  interfere  in  the  least  with 
the  York  Society’s  judges,  but  will  make  awards  in  addition  to, 
or  independent  of,  the  prizes  in  the  schedule,  in  the  form  of 
medals,  awards  of  merit,  or  what  not,  as  they  deem  fit,  according 
to  the  excellence  of  the  exhibits.  Although  three  gold  medals  (or 
value  in  money)  are  provided  by  the  York  Society  for  nursery- 
jnen’s  productions,  there  are  often  non-competitive  exhibits  worthy 
of  approval  for  which  no  provision  is  made  in  the  schedules  of  large 
shows. 
It  has  been  suggested  that  there  is  the  possibility  of  conflict 
arising  between  the  regular  judges  and  the  R.H.S.  experts 
as  to  their  estimates  of  merit.  There  is  one  safeguard  against 
this  in  the  circumstance  of  the  York  officials  choosing  persons 
to  adjudicate  who  are  themselves  experts,  and  as  such  the 
deputation  would  be  the  more  likely  to  be  in  consonance  with 
their  views,  and  may  be  trusted  to  respect  their  decisions.  As  to 
procedure  there  need  be  no  conflict,  because  it  would  be  easy  to 
provide  for  the  award  of  the  prizes  in  the  schedule,  before  the 
R.H.S.  inspection,  for  which  an  hour  would  probably  suffice — 
prior  to  which  three  or  four  sets  of  judges  would  have  gone 
far  towards  the  completion  of  their  duties.  Also  naturally  the 
judges  would  have  nothing  to  do  with  awarding  certificates  for 
new  plants  or  products,  as  if  Royal  Horticultural  Society’s  certifi¬ 
cates  are  at  disposal  for  these,  as  we  believe  is  the  case,  the 
granting  of  them  would  properly  devolve  on  the  deputation. 
Should  there  be  many  entries  these  could  be  examined  during  the 
time  the  judges  are  engaged  in  the  classes,  and  thus  the  whole 
work  would  go  on  smoothly,  as  indeed  it  would,  as  it  seems  to 
us,  in  any  case  if  the  deputation  followed  the  judges  for  granting 
extra  R.H.S.  awards,  outside  the  new  plants  or  products  shown 
for  certificates.  These  are  usually  sparse  at  provincial  shows,  but 
possibly  they  may  be  more  numerous  under  the  new  conditions, 
as  we  take  it  for  granted  that  novelties  will  be  eligible  from  all 
parts  of  the  kingdom  or  the  world.  The  only  chance  of  a  hitch 
occurring  would  be  in  the  deputation  preceding  the  judges,  the 
very  thing  we  have  not  a  doubt  the  former  would  be  naturally 
careful  to  avoid  ;  still  the  first  visit  of  the  R.H.S.  for  the  purpose 
in  question  will  be  of  necessity  experimental,  and  may  lead  to  a 
different  and  better  course  of  action  at  future  shows.  It  is  some¬ 
thing  to  make  a  beginning. 
It  is  at  present  rather  a  “far  cry”  to  Chester,  a  new  centre  of 
horticulture  as  regards  exhibitions,  though  famous  for  the  great 
establishment  of  the  Dicksons  ;  yet  by  what  we  have  heard  the 
Royal  Horticultural  Society  will  not  receive  a  less  generous 
reception  than  at  York.  We  have  heard  that  the  President  will  be 
the  guest  of  the  Duke  of  Westminster,  and  that  His  Grace  is 
expected  to  attend  a  meeting  to  be  held  in  the  Town  Hall  the 
evening  before  the  show.  The  experience  of  York  will  be  valuable 
as  a  basis  of  procedure  at  the  show,  in  fact  both  shows  will  be 
experimental,  and  it  is  not  easy  to  see  how  a  definite  course  of 
action  can  be  formulated  till  another  year  for  the  visits  of  the 
Royal  Horticultural  Society  to  provincial  centres  in  which  the 
products  of  gardens  are  extensively  and  well  represented,  and 
where  cultivators  are  worthy  of  the  Society’s  recognition,  instead 
of  dispensing  the  whole  of  its  honours  in  London,  also  at  the  same 
time  circumscribing  its  influence  for  good  in  the  promotion  of 
national  horticulture. 
THE  MEW  JUDGING. 
On  page  346  “  One  of  the  Forty-six  ”  indulges  in  a  humorous 
critique  on  “  An  Old  Judge.”  I  should  of  course  have  taken  no 
notice  of  this  letter  but  for  a  paragraph  describing  certain  classes 
which  are  specially  difficult  to  judge,  and  these  are  the  words, 
“  Or  even  one  of  the  new  mixed  classes  at  Shrevsbury,  in  which 
something  like  an  unheard-of  condition  is  attached,  that  the  points 
must  be  exposed.”  The  writer  may  have  intended  that  the 
“  unheard-of  condition  ”  simply  means  a  new  departure  from  the 
ordinary  rules  of  judging.  If  so  I  feel  complimented  that  our 
Society  has  initiated  an  entirely  new  item  in  horticultural  shows  ; 
but  it  may  also  be  taken  that  the  “unheard-of  condition  ”  may  be 
an  innovation  which  it  would  not  be  desirable  to  follow.  If  so,  I 
would  say  our  object  is  simply  educational.  I  have  never  been  at 
a  show  without  the  decision  of  the  judges  being,  friendly  or  other¬ 
wise,  criticised,  and  have  been  often  asked  why  some  exhibit  was 
preferred  to  another,  which  to  the  public  certainly  looked  more 
likely  to  gain  the  prize.  At  our  floral  fete  I  have  often  seen  junior 
(and  senior)  gardeners  round  an  exhibit  arguing  most  earnestly, 
