Pecembct  I,  1896. 
JOURNAL  OF  HORTICULTURE  AND  COTTAGE  GARDENER. 
CvPKiPEDiUM  Galatea  ma.tus. 
HY!  Cypripediunos  are  ao  nnmerous  tbab  it  might  now  be 
thought  difFicnlt  to  obtain  distinct  and  meritorions  novelties,  but 
this  does  not  appear  to  be  the  case,  and  additions  are  constantly 
being  made  to  the  lists  of  handsome  seedlings.  C.  Galatea  ma jus 
,(fig-  lOK)  is  a  seedling  which  resulted  from  a  cross  between  Cypri- 
pedium  Chantini  and  C.  Harrisianam,  and  the  flowers  have  a  fine  bold 
appearance,  quite  distinct  and  beantifnl.  The  dorsal  sepal  is  edged 
with  pure  white,  the  centre  heavily  spotted  with  deep  crimson  ;  the 
lower  sepals  pale  green,  with  a  few  spots.  The  petals  are  purple 
tinted,  tipped  with  green,  and  the  lip  it  of  moderate  size,  with  a 
polished  shining  surface,  and  of  a  purplish  colour. 
APPLES. 
Judging  at  Youk  Show, 
In  respect  to  the  resolution  passed  by  the  York  Florists’  Society,  as 
mentioned  by  Mr,  Lawton  on  page  591,  I  beg  leave  to  explain  the 
position  the  nommittee  takes  up  in  the  matter.  The  challenge  thrown 
out  by  some  of  your  correspondents  that  the  Society  should  submit  the 
question  in  dispute  to  the  arbitration  of  the  Koyal  Horticultural  Society 
was  brought  before  them  at  their  last  meeting.  They  decided  that  there 
was  not  sufficient  ground  for  them  to  deviate  from  their  rule  ;  that  the 
decision  of  the  Judges  shall  be  final.  They  believe  that  the  Judges  (in  j 
whom  they  bad,  and  still  have,  every  confidence)  acted  up  to  the  spirit 
and  letter  of  the  schedule  with  due  deliberation,  and  to  the  best  of 
their  judgment. 
Without  pretending  to  finally  settle  all  the  questions  raised  by  this 
dispute,  the  Committee  considers  that  the  reasoas  given  by  the  Judges 
for  their  decision,  and  the  authorities  advanced  in  favour  of  their  views, 
are  as  weighty  and,  to  say  the  least,  equally  as  good  as  the  arguments 
used  against  them,  The  Society  has  already  fulfilled  its  obligations 
with  regard  to  the  case.  The  extra  prize  awarded — equal  to  second — 
was  duly  paid  and  accepted,  and  so  far  as  this  Committee  is  concerned 
the  matter  there  ends.  It  would  scarcely  be  in  decent  form  to  submit 
to  arbitration  or  re-open  a  question  that  is  already  an  accomplished  fact. 
Bearing  in  view,  however,  the  fact  that  the  case  has  excited  a  certain 
amount  of  public  interest,  and  not  knowing  what  the  intention  of  the 
Judge's  might  be,  as  the  Committee  had  no  communication  from  them, 
it  was  suggested  that  if  they  themselves  should  choose  to  submit  the 
question  whether  their  decision  was  right  or  not,  in  that  event  the 
Society  would  pay  the  fee.  Hence  the  resolution,  empowering  the 
Secretary  to  act,  as  there  set  forth. 
It  is  evident  there  is  a  lack  of  unanimity  amongst  authorities,  or 
perhaps  misconceptions  amongst  the  general  gardening  public,  regarding 
the  classification  of  Apples  for  exhibition  purposes.  The  question  is 
wider,  and  there  is  taore  in  it  than  hangs  simply  on  this  case  alone.  To 
those  who  are  interested  in  a  more  clear  and  comprehensive  solution, 
furely  it  must  be  conceivable  tha*  there  are  other  ways  of  approaching 
the  snbject  than  what  appears  in  this  case  to  many  to  be  an  attempt  to 
drag  the  York  Judges  through  the  mire. — R.  M’Intosh,  York 
[While  admitting  fully  the  competency  of  the  York  Judges  to 
determine  the  relative  merits  of.  cultivated  products,  we  will  now  ask 
this  questii  n,  as  bearing  directly  on  disqualification  : — Is  any  judge 
entitled  to  disqualify  any  exhibitor  who  has  not  infringed  any  rule  or 
Ignored  any  condition  or  stipulation  in  the  schedule  that  may  be  pro¬ 
vided  for  the.  guidance  of  all  ?  This  we  conceive  to  be  a  far  more 
important  question  than  the  admissibility  of  any  particular  Apple  in  a 
dessert  class, 1 
DlStiUALIFYIKG  EXHIBITORS. 
The  best  thanks  of  the  horticultural  community  (especially  the 
section  which  includes  exhibitors,  judges,  and  others  connected  with 
shows)  are  due  to  you  for  opening  the  columns  of  the  Journal  to 
correspondence  relative  to  the  disqualification  of  exhibitors.  I  have  read 
the  various  letters  concerning  the  action  of  the  judges  at  York  with 
some  care.  There  seems  to  me  to  be  a  much  greater  question  at 
stake  than  the  eligibility  or  otherwise  of  Emperor  Alexander  as  a 
dessert  Apple. 
There  is  a  paragraph  on  page  591  which  begins,  “  If  we  were  judging.” 
Now  that  suggests  to  me  the  crux  of  the  w'hole  matter,  and  involves 
this  question,  Fad  the  Judges  any  right  to  disqualify  an  exhibitor  who 
had  not  broken  any  of  the  lules,  as  stated  in  the  York  schedule?  We 
have  not  all  a  copy  of  that  schedule,  so  in  Its  absence  may  surmise  that 
there  is  nothing  referring  to  the  special  varieties  to  be  shown  ;  also,  I 
expect  there  is  the  usual  “decision  of  the  Judges  is  final.”  If  my 
ourmiics  are  correct,  1  shall  answer  the  query  with  an  emphatic  “  No  ; 
the  Judges  had  no  right  to  disqualify.  Thtir  business  was  to  adjudicate 
according  to  the  schedule.” 
„  All  exhibitors  are  liable  to  errors  of  judgment  and  pay  the  penalty 
by  loss  of  points  ;  that  is  enough,  surely,  without  having  one’s  exhibit 
EIG,  108  — CYPRIPEDIUM  GALATEA  MA.TUS. 
itsne.  Meanwhile  we  ourselves  shall  be  guided  mainly  by  the  nume¬ 
rous  authorities  already  named  in  your  columns  during  this  discussion, 
which  we  consider  we  are  justified  in  saying  abundantly  support  us  in 
the  position  we  took  at  York.—EKNEY  J.  CLAYTON,  Chas.  Lawton. 
I  HAVE  read  the  articles  on  the  above  controversy,  and  quite  agree 
that  if  possible  some  “  standard  ”  should  be  attempted  to  define  what  a 
dessert  fruit  should  be,  but  this  is  more  difficult  than  it  appears,  and  is 
after  all  a  matter  of  taste  and  fashion.  Some  hosts  would  be  pleased  to 
peel  and  cut  up  a  fine  large  fruit  of  Blenheim  Orange,  Alexander,  Peas- 
good’s  Nonesuch,  or  Melon  Apple,  and  pass  it  round  the  dessert  table  as 
’  one  does  a  choice  Pear,  and  really  many  dessert  fruits  cannot  be  too 
labelled  ‘disqualified.”  which  word  creates  in  my  mind,  and  in  that  of 
some  of  the  public,  the  impression  that  the  exhibitor  has  been  up  to 
some  shady  trick  and  been  detected.  Sometimes  I  see  on  a  card  (written 
generally  in  pencil)  “  Not  in  accordance  with  the  schedule,”  and  think 
that  is  a  most  considerate  way  of  m.srking  what  may  be  an  accident  or 
oversight,  .and  is  quite  aulficieut  when  there  is  no  reason  to  suppose  an 
exhibitor  has  wilfully  done  wrong.  If  the  question  is  decided  by  the 
E.H.S.  I  trust  that  everyone  coucerned  will  accept  the  verdict  in  a 
spirit  worthy  of  good  gardeners  and  loyal  Englishmen.  We  have 
not  had  such  a  stir  since  Mr.  Meindoe’s  esse.  With  New  Year’s  greet¬ 
ings  to  all  concernc  \  with  the  Journal,  I  sign  myself  what  I  am— 
A  Pytchlet  A.mateur. 
Culinary  and  Dessert  Apples. 
We  have  carefully  considered  our  position  in  the  light  of  the  resolution 
of  the  Committee  of  the  York  Society  of  Ancient  Florists,  as  published, 
page  592,  and  have  decided  not  to  take  any  further  steps  in  the  matter. 
We  thank  them  publicly  (as  we  have  done  privately)  for  their  kindness 
and  consideration  in  offering  to  pay  the  expenses  in  connection  there¬ 
with.  Neither  of  us  is  in  any  way  connected  with  the  proposed  court  of 
appeal — the  R.H.S.,  nor  is  the  A.S  Y.F.  affiliated  thereto.  In  saying 
this,  we  as  Judges  wish  it  to  be  distinctly  understood  that  we  have 
nothing  but  respect  and  good  wishes  for  the  R.H.S.  and  its  work 
generally. 
As  will  be  seen,  the  point  that  concerns  us  now — viz.,  Is  Emperor 
Alexander  Apple  a  culinary  or  dessert  variety  ?  is  but  a  fractional  part 
of  an  admittedly  large  subject.  Should  the  R.H.S.  see  fit  to  go  into 
the  matter  thoroughly,  no  doubt  their  decisions  would  have  great  weight 
with  those  who  in  future  draw  up  schedules  bearing  on  the  matter  at 
