Excerpt from The Horticultural Exhibitors' Handbook: A Treatise on Cultivating, Exhibiting, and Judging Plants, Flowers, Fruits, and Vegetables Ix introducing the reader to the contents of this Handbook, we consider it necessary to give a few general remarks on exhibitions; to point out some of the benefits they confer on those who participate in them, and show the effect their agency has on increasing the value of produce. Exhibitions, whether of Science, Art, or Industry, are usually inaugurated with the view of promoting one or more of such desirable objects as the education of the public mind, the gratification of the senses, or the encouragement of Science, Art, or Commerce. That the desired results have been attained in a marked degree in Horticulture is clearly apparent to all observers. When We notice the large and increasing number of shows held throughout the country, nearly every parish and village participating in the annual display of garden pro duce, and see the interest taken in their success by all classes of the people, we are led to conclude that flower-shows must be doing a vast amount of good, directly and indirectly, in this country. Whatever tends to increase the productiveness of the soil - whether it be the proper application of labour, or the acquirement of a sound knowledge of the wants of plants, and the best modes of applying the elements provided by Nature and Science, to meet the varying demands of plant life - is assisting in a material degree to furnish the means which so largely contribute to the comfort and happiness of the people. About the Publisher Forgotten Books publishes hundreds of thousands of rare and classic books. Find more at www.forgottenbooks.com This book is a reproduction of an important historical work. Forgotten Books uses state-of-the-art technology to digitally reconstruct the work, preserving the original format whilst repairing imperfections present in the aged copy. In rare cases, an imperfection in the original, such as a blemish or missing page, may be replicated in our edition. We do, however, repair the vast majority of imperfections successfully; any imperfections that remain are intentionally left to preserve the state of such historical works.