NATIVE PLANTS DISPLAY.

New Zealand Herald, Volume LXVI, Issue 20422, 26 November 1929, Page 9

NATIVE PLANTS DISPLAY.

LODER CUP COMPETITION.

CRITICISM BY THE JUDGES

Tho report of tho judges of the Loder Cup competition held at the last horticultural show in Auckland has been received by the Auckland Horticultural Society. Tho cup was won by Duncan and Davies, Limited, of New Plymouth. It is awarded annually for the best display of native plants, tho competition being held in tho four chief cities of tho Dominion in rotation.

Tho judges, Mr. T. L. Lancaster, and Miss Marguerite W. Crookes, state that they considered all tho exhibits were highly meritorious and reflected great credit on the exhibitors, especially in view of tho somewhat exacting conditions of tho competition. As regards the total number of species and varieties, they had no criticism to offer, but they considered that a better balance as betweon tho prescribed groups of plants might have been shown in some cases, it being especially noticeable that one exhibit failed to do justice to tho herbs.

While all tho collections showed n good proportion of well-grown plants, a larger specimen would in many instances liavo givon a better idea of tho horticultural value of tho plant concerned. They realised, howover, that, demands of space and practical considerations inado this very difficult in the case of some of the larger species. In this respect the winning collection was especially open to criticism.

In no case did tho labelling fully carry out 'tho requirements laid down by tho conditions of (ho competition. Jn a contest o! this kind descriptive labelling must necessarily bo concise, but they thought that tho cxamplo of ono exhibitor in emphasising tho horticultural aspect might well be followed in the future. Only one exhibitor attempted to do justice to tho possibilities of artistic arrangement. Had this aspect of the competition received groator attention more would havo been done to emphasise tho horticultural potentialities of . the species and at. tho same time to economiso space.

The judges add that their remarks wcro made in a purely constructive spirit and did not ariso from any lack of appreciation of tho high standard attained by enthusiastic exhibitors working under conditions of unusual difficulty.