iffty  28,  189t5. 
I OUR U  A  fj  OF  HORTICULTURE  AUT)  COTTAGE  GARbEEEk. 
m 
the  next  decade  ;  it  is  enough  for  me  that  the  York  show  is  to  be  visited 
this  year  by  representatives  of  the  chief  Horticultural  Society  of  the 
kingdom,  and  that  the  honours  of  that  Society  are  to  be  granted  for 
meritorious  products,  without  prejudice  to  exhibitors  who  may  compete 
for  the  prizes  offered  in  our  schedule.  And  this  brings  me  to  a 
point  that  seems  to  be  regarded  as  a  difficult  one  by  “  F.  U.  Y.” — the 
granting  of  extra  awards  by  the  R.H.S.  deputation  without  clashing 
with  the  work  of  the  official  judges. 
It  seems  to  me  it  is  just  because  the  classes  are  not  specified  to  which 
the  extra  grants  may^  be  made  that  there  can  be  no  clashing.  The 
judges  will  do  their  duty  exactly  as  if  there  were  no  deputation,  and 
award  the  prizes  contained  in  the  schedule.  The  deputation  can  supple¬ 
ment  such  of  these  awards  as  the  members  think  fit,  as  well  as  grant 
R.H.S.  honours  to  any  exhibits  that  may  not  be  provided  for  in  the 
not  placed  in  competition,  but  which  often  add  materially  to  the 
completeness  of  a  show.  There  is  no  difficulty  in  such  second  look 
round  for  the  purpose  in  question,  at  least  I  have  neither  seen  nor  heard 
of  any  such.  How,  then,  can  there  be  any  difficulty  in  the  R.H.S. 
deputation  following  the  judges  in  exactly  the  same  way,  and  granting 
special  honours  wherever  they  may  be  thought  to  be  deserved,  whether 
the  exhibits  have  won  prizes  in  competition  or  whether  they  are  outside 
the  provisions  of  the  schedule? 
The  deputation  will  have  no  power  to  upset  or  alter  a  single  award 
that  may  have  been  made  by  the  official  judges.  No  prize  can  be 
reduced  by  the  visitors,  but  its  value  can  be  added  to  in  the  case  of 
exhibits  being  regarded  as  specially  meritorious.  But  it  may  be  said 
“  The  deputation  may  give  an  extra  award  to  a  second  prize  exhibit 
while  passing  the  first,  and  there  would  be  clashing.”  Not  necessarily. 
Fig,  81.— NECTARINE  RIVERS’  CARDINAL, 
schedule,  It  will  be  simply  a  recognition  by  the  Royal  Horticultural 
Society  of  meritorious  work  at  a  provincial  show,  without  depriving 
any  exhibitor  of  any  prize  he  may  win  in  class  competition  ;  nor  will 
any  person  be  diverted  from  exhibiting  in  any  class.  To  specify  either 
classes  or  products  for  R.H  S.  awards  would  amount  to  an  interference 
with  local  arrangements  that  could  neither  be  satisfactory  to  the  Com¬ 
mittee  nor  exhibitors,  and  the  dreaded  “  clashing  ”  would  be  inevitable. 
As  it  is  there  can  be  none.  There  will  be  nothing  to  clash  about 
that  I  can  see.  The  local  society  is  free  to  carry  out  the  whole  show  and 
judging  arrangements  as  usual,  and  the  R.H.S.  deputation  will  have 
equal  freedom  to  act  in  the  distribution  of  special  marks  of  approval. 
“  F.  LT.  Y.”  suggests  by  hi«  remarks  that  he  is  a  red  tapist.  I  like  the 
plan  as  it  is  understood  at  York,  because  of  the  absence  of  red  or  any 
other  shackling  tape,  and  I  think  it  capable  of  being  carried  out  with 
the  greatest  ease. 
On  many  occasions  I  have  seen,  when  the  awarding  of  the  prizes  in 
schedules  is  completed,  certain  men  told  off  for  recommending  medals, 
certifhate  ,  highly  commendedB,  and  such-like  to  meritorious  exhibits 
The  premier  Rose,  Chrysanthemum,  best  dish  of  Grapes,  or  anything  else 
in  a  show  for  which  special  prizes  have  frequently  been  given,  have 
by  no  means  been  found  in  first  prize  collections,  and  we  oftt  n  see  some 
particular  specimen  of  plant  or  fruit  of  commanding  excel  ence  in  an 
exhibit  which  contains  other  examples  too  weak  to  enable  the  collection 
as  a  whole  to  merit  the  chief  award.  I  have  heard  judges  1  egret  very 
much  that  they  had  nothing  to  give  to  something  of  a  distinctly 
superior  character  in  such  cases.  The  R.H.S.  representatives  will  have 
power  to  do  this  if  they  like;  but  as  to  putting  themselves  in  conflict 
with  such  experienced  judges  as  are  found  at,  I  have  no  doubt,  all  really 
great  provincial  shows,  the  idea  is  preposterous.  I  do  not  imagine  the 
judges  at  York  will  fear  any  such  thing,  and  if  they  do  not  I  fail  to  see 
that  other  persons  need  trouble  their  heads  about  it. 
I  think  it  a  step  in  the  right  direction  for  the  Royal  Horticultural 
Society  to  recognise  provincial  work  in  a  direct  manner  as  far  as  may  be 
found  practicable,  and  I  have  a  very  good  reason  for  expressing  satisfac¬ 
tion  in  the  visit  of  the  “Royal”  in  June  to  our  old  City,  and  that  ia 
because  I  am— A  Youkshikeman. 
