Show Rules of the past.

[shelagh]

I was talking to a gentleman at the Midland Show yesterday who began his A.G.S. Show career in the 1940's, this is what he said.

On arrival at the Show Hall the Show Secretary would meet you at the door and shake your hand.  The Stewards would then come to the door to take your plants. They would ask you which way you wanted the plant presented and the take it to the bench. Exhibitors were not allowed into the Hall until judging had finished. Judges were likewise not allowed into the Hall until all plants had been staged.

I found his account fascinating.  Certainly it meant that judges probably didn't know whose plant they were judging.  However I can't see it being possible when today we often have 3,4,500 plants on the bench.

[Maggi Young]

Crumbs! Nowadays  that would mean staging would have to begin on the Tuesday before the show!!

[Michael J Campbell]

What a good idea Shelagh, wonder why they changed it. I could even show under those rules while I can't under the present rules where the Judges stand and watch everyone staging their plants. 
I once had a primula up for the F. medal (when I didn't have as much sense as I now have ) in a 30cm pot completely covered with flowers, no foliage showing. One of the judges said it would have to be disqualified as there was more than one plant in the pot, don't where he got that rule from, and anyway, he couldn't see anything but a dome of flowers. It then transpired that he also had a plant up for the medal and after he disqualified my plant he absented himself from the judging, obviously his plant wone. I don't mind being beaten by a better plant but cheating or fraud is not something I tolerate. Obviously, I never entered a plant in a show after that.