DEFINITIONS AND GENERAL NOTES TO BE USED AS A GUIDE FOR EXHIBITORS
- A CACTUS is a succulent plant characterised by the presence of areoles: an areole being a small cushion of woolly felt or hair from which spines usually arise. Often offsets or flowers also arise from the growth point.
- SUCCULENTS are adapted in stem and leaves to conditions of drought, usually with fleshy leaves and few breathing pores.
- A HOUSEPLANT is a plant which is grown constantly in a living room under normal conditions, and always remains attractive thought the year. Succulents will generally qualify, but plants which die down at certain times of the year and lose their leaves do not qualify.
- FOLIAGE PLANTS Plants such as Coleus, Begonia Rex, Palms and Sanservieria etc, which are grown primarily for their foliage and have insignificant flowers may be included in this class.
- FLOWERING PLANT Plants that are grown primarily for their floral effect
- A LIVING ROOM is a room in a dwelling where normal living conditions prevail and no additional protection is given to the plant by enclosure or control of temperature, humidity or special artificial light.
- The stewards or show organiser are empowered to transfer an exhibit to an appropriate class before judging begins if the exhibit has been entered in the wrong class. A steward will be available during staging to give advice.
NOTES FOR EXHIBITORS – Floral Art
An exhibit is composed of natural plant material, with or without accessories, contained within a space as specified in the show schedule. NAFAS rules state that disqualification will take place for the following reasons:
- Failure to comply with any specific requirements of a class as stated in the show schedule i.e. the measurements or the components
- Inclusion of any fresh material that does not have its roots or cut ends of its stems in water, or water-retaining material
- Inclusion of artificial plant material (unless specifically allowed by the show schedule)
***
HINTS FOR EXHIBITORS – Fruit and Vegetables
If you have not exhibited before, you are probably not aware that the proper staging of your exhibit may go a long way towards winning a prize. Several members of the society have had considerable experience in exhibiting and are willing to help you if you contact them through a committee member.
All vegetables should be clean and fresh and, as far as possible, free from blemishes. Good quality, combined with size suitable for table use, is important. Mere size and weight, greatly above normal, usually indicates coarseness and judges will regard this as a defect. Samples composing a “dish” should be of uniform size and one variety only.
POTATOES: Aim at uniformity in the size of the tubers. Medium sized, shapely specimens are greatly superior to enormous tubers.
CARROTS AND PARSNIPS: Should be young and tender, of good shape, colour and size, free from side shoots. Trim foliage to about 7.5cm/3inches
BEETROOT: Good colour combined with uniformity is important. Show with a tap root.
TOMATOES: Should be firm but ripe and the stalks (Calyces) should be left on.
PEAS AND BEANS: The pods may be as long as the exhibitor likes, provided they are young and the pea pods well filled. Try to preserve as much of the natural bloom as possible. Stalks should be left on.
ONIONS: Large onions are desirable but must be free from blemish, well ripened and quite hard.
FRUIT: Fruit should be of good colour and appearance and look alike as possible. Don’t polish fruit, leave natural bloom intact. Currants etc 1 strig (string) is one fruit; other fruit and berries show with stalks.
COLLECTIONS OF FRUIT: The numbers of fruits per dish of one kind of fruit to be as follows: soft fruit 12, stone fruit 5, melon 1, grapes 1 bunch and all other fruits 3.
SALAD VEGETABLE: A vegetable which is commonly eaten in a salad in a cooked state eg beetroot.
SALADING: A vegetable which is eaten uncooked in a salad.
COLLECTIONS OF VEGETABLES: The judges will award points as in the following table to the individual kinds which form the collection and will take the general uniformity of the collection into consideration only in their final judgement when the total points of two or more exhibitors are equal.
| VEGETABLE | MAXIMUM POINTS | VEGETABLE | MAXIMUM POINTS | VEGETABLE | MAXIMUM POINTS |
| Beans – broad | 15 | Cauliflowers | 20 | Parsnips | 20 |
| Beans – french | 15 | Celery – blanched Courgettes | 20 12 | Peas Potatoes | 20 20 |
| Beans – runner Beetroot – globe | 18 15 | Cucumbers – under protection | 18 | Shallots – pickling Shallots exhibition | 15 18 |
| Brussels sprouts | 15 | Leeks | 20 | Sweetcorn | 18 |
| Cabbage – green Carrots – long | 15 20 | Lettuces other than loose leafed | 15 | Tomatoes – cherry Tomatoes – others | 12 18 |
| Carrots – others | 18 | Onions over 250 gm | 20 | Turnips | 15 |