CHAPTER XVI

JUDGING

THE success of a society holding an annual exhibition of roses is materially affected by the judging. Notwithstanding an attractive schedule, good prizes, and good management, if from any cause the awards of the judges are unsatisfactory there will certainly be a falling-off of exhibitors at the Society's future shows sooner or later. An exhibitor does not so much mind losing the position he thought he was entitled to, if he knows that the judges are experts and have taken pains; but what he does object to is, that those appointed to judge-good horticulturists though they may be in other respects-possess, as evidenced by their awards, little knowledge of what the rose world considers a good stand of roses. The exhibitor wants to be assured that the best roses will win, he dislikes leaving it to chance, and so he stops away the next year. Bad judging gives the show a bad name.

A judge should know a good rose when he sees it. He should be acquainted more or less with all the varieties that come under his inspection; should know which is an easy, and which is a difficult rose to grow to perfection, and whether a particular bloom is true to type in form, size, and colour; in fact, he should be an exhibitor or a rose specialist. And possessing these qualifications, he should be impartial as to types; not

allowing himself to favour particular varieties, to prefer one shape to another, to be attracted to Teas because they are Teas, but simply to put this question to himself: Is this rose that I am now judging a good specimen of the variety? and then act accordingly. And, further, a judge should be quick to notice circumstances or little details which may militate for or against a particular exhibit. For instance, to observe its position, whether it stands in a better or inferior light than others in the same class— a lid is sometimes set on its side behind the box in order to throw up the colour of the roses to observe the manner in which the flowers are staged, for blooms staged close together appear larger than those set wider apart, although the size of the rival boxes may all be the same. These and other like circumstances should not escape his notice.

But what constitutes a good rose, and what a bad one? The following definitions, as set forth by the National Rose Society in the "Rules for Judging at Rose Shows," supply the answer :

"A Good Rose.-The highest type of bloom is one which has form, size, brightness, substance, and good foliage, and which is, at the time of judging, in the most perfect phase of its possible beauty.

"A Bad Rose. The following are serious defects in a rose-bloom: faulty shape, confused or split centre, and faded colour; also being undersized, or oversized to the extent of coarseness or over-blooming.

Form shall imply: petals abundant and of good substance, regularly and gracefully arranged within a circular outline, and having a well-formed centre.

"Size shall imply that the bloom is a full-size representative specimen of the variety.

Brightness shall include: freshness, brilliancy, and purity of colour."

Now, there are two points in this definition to which special attention should be given; points which appear to be overlooked occasionally by those deputed to judge roses, namely, the definition of " form " and " size." Form comes first, even before size and brightness; a large bright rose, it may be as large as a peony, if it lacks form is a bad rose. And notice the primary qualification of form: "petals abundant and of good substance." Do not be led away by a merely pretty rose; it may be bright and perfect in outline, but if its petals are thin and papery, it is lacking in form. And the same with size. Size is a relative term relative to type; a flower to possess size must be "a full-size representative specimen of the variety." So that a stand with small flowers, if they are representatives of the varieties, may be a better stand than another which has certainly larger but relatively undersized roses. It is advisable to emphasise this, because mere size is so attractive to the inexperienced judge, and to many of the public as well, who infinitely prefer large, coarse specimens to the more highly finished but smaller ones.

about his

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The next thing is, how does the judge set work, and on what does he base his decision? the stand as a whole, but the individual blooms that determine the issue. It is well for the exhibitor to understand this, so that when staging he will see that only those roses find admittance to his box that will

score at least one point; remembering that, notwithstanding the one or two excellent flowers he may have, flowers far superior to any in the exhibit of his rival, yet if the rest are weak ones, the excellence of the others is heavily discounted. For example, in a stand of twelve blooms, it is better to have twelve medium-sized flowers, all scoring something, than two blooms good and the remainder poor. Indeed a very bad bloom is not merely passed over, but a point is taken off, as we shall see directly.

The number of judges appointed is usually three, so that when points of difference arise the decision of the majority shall prevail. In judging roses, the best results are obtained-provided all three are experts-where at the commencement of judging a class, each judge acts on his own responsibility; each goes his own way to work, draws his own conclusions, and when they have severally finished, compare notes. By this method it is frequently found that the judges are either unanimous, or at least the question is reduced to three or possibly four exhibits; and it has this further advantage, each judge exercises his own judgment, it is not left to one man with the other two acting merely as assessors. Judging demands concentration; the judge should give his whole mind to it, and should not be interrupted or hindered by visitors. Provided with a card or notebook he first of all passes along the row of exhibits in the class to be judged, and takes down in the order in which they stand the several exhibitors' numbers given on the backs of the exhibitors' cards. Having done so he then counts the blooms in each stand that will score a point, records the number

on his card against the exhibitor's number, and makes

impressions of the exhibit, as to

a note or two, his first form, size, colour, &c. Probably he will now be in a position to strike out those exhibits which he considers have no chance of winning. If the figures indicate close competition he will make a further inspection with a view of ascertaining how many three or four point flowers there are in each stand, and how many rough and bad blooms. By this time his companions will have concluded their inspection also, and the three will compare notes. If each one has come to the same conclusion, the probability is that this is a correct decision, and nothing remains but to make the award; if there is only a slight variation the judges will conjointly inspect the stands, and confer, and doubtless arrive at a decision.

If, however, by this plan no agreement can be reached, it will be necessary to point the blooms. On this process the National Rose Society has issued the following directions:

"The following, whenever necessary, shall be the method of comparison:

"One of the judges shall name a number of points for each bloom.

"The other two shall stand by and stop him when they do not agree, one putting down on paper the number of points allotted to each bloom as they are decided upon, and adding up the total number of points given to each stand or exhibit.

"Three points should be given for high-class blooms; two for medium; one for those not so good, but not