THE HORTICULTURAL SHOW.

New Zealand Herald, Volume XXIX, Issue 9040, 19 November 1892, Page 3

THE HORTICULTURAL SHOW.

TO THE EDITOR. Sir, —Will you kindly allow me to make a few remarks in reference to the late show. First, as regards management. Should the secretary or person in charge of a horticultural show be allowed to exhibit ? At the last show the secretary or manager and his family were the principal exhibitors in point of number of exhibits. According to the regulations all exhibits were to be staged by nine a.m. In my innocence, I got up in the small hours, hurried as much as possible, and arrived on the ground, minus breakfast, about half-past eight to find the stands not ready nor the tables fixed, no person of authority to indicate the position of exhibits, no water, and no means of getting any —my flowers all huddled in a basket, and, of necessity, to remain there without water. Where was the secretary? Why, getting his own exhibits ready. It was nearer eleven than nine when all were staged. I presume the Agricultural Association arranged for some one to take charge of exhibits but, to my knowledge, there was no such person ..in the tent the greater part of Saturday afternoon. I exhibited some very fine loquats, over 50; another exhibited 50. 1 took out a small box to bring mine home, but never used it, there being only four out of the 100 or more left. So much for management. Second, judging. Is it not desirable that the judges should be altogether disinterested in the exhibits or exhibitors? How many of the five or six gentlemen who have acted as judges during the past 10 or 15 years, know a tasteful bouquet when they see one ? Who make the solid, closely packed, unnatural, tasteless masses of flowers that have been exhibited as bouquets for years past? The judges. One exhibitor showed an inclination to get out of the rut at the last show. I refer to a bouquet made up of cream roses, terra-cotta azaleas, fine foliage, and ornamental grasses. The harmony of colour was beautiful indeed, and showed rare taste in this respect; it took second place. The exhibitor will probably keep to the judges' ideal in future, and so continue the style above mentioned. What is the object of an exhibition of bouquets but to show people in general how to decorate their homes and show off their flowers to the best advantage ; but is it not a rare thing to see a vase of flowers arranged naturally to show the beauty of individual flowers Would it not be a move in the right direction to appoint ladies to act in conjunction with gentlemen to judge bouquets? Give any man a bunch of flowers to arrange in a vase, and a like bunch to his wife, how many of the male sex would shine? To return to the show : Could any person inspect the button-hole bouquets and understand the ground of award? In the judgment of all with whom I spoke the six placed first should have been third. Any child above eight years old could have made up button-hole bouquets equal to those placed first. The hanging baskets in the allcomers'class : Who would have such a wretched affair in their house ? It pleased the judges and received first prize. Wheiein lay the merit of the specimen fern? It could not be in the culture, I do not think in its beauty, perhaps it was rarity. It so impressed the judges that its duplicate had to receive second prize—hen and chickens, I understand it is popularly called. Should any exhibit receive a prize simply because there is none other in its class? Has not the time arrived for a total change in the management of our flower shows? In music and flowers we have an elevating and beautifying influence not found in the ordinary business of life. Those rich in culture, leisure, and purse do take an interest in the former, but to judge by the shows very little interest is taken in the latter. Why is it not possible to have a Horticultural Society in Auckland? I trust some of your readers will take up this matter, discuss it fully, and give a practical answer by the formation of a strong society. There is no doubt the people of Auckland can and will pay to see and hear that which pleases them, and if the shows are really good and well managed there is little doubt they will succeed, but 1 think it is necessary that gentlemen like Professor Thomas and Mr. Cheeseman should be leading members of such a society.—l am, etc., Thos. Cranwell.