HINTS TO EXHIBITORS

Horticultural Classes

Uniformity of exhibits should be aimed at. A single large specimen shown with much smaller examples will not impress the judges.
Leaves should be cut off beetroot, carrots and parsnips, leaving about 75mm of leaf stalk
Onions should be shown with about 75mm of stalk folded down and tied if dry or cut to approx. 23 cm if green.
Shallots should be separate, not in clusters and treated similarly.
All roots should be washed gently, not scrubbed.
Peas, beans and tomatoes should have stalks
Exhibits can be labelled with cultivar or variety
Cabbages, cauliflowers, calabrese and broccoli should be shown with approx. 50mm of stalk
Courgettes should be approx. 150mm in length and 35mm diameter.
Lettuce roots should be washed and wrapped in moist tissue and inserted in a neatly tied plastic bag.
Marrows should be less than 350mm long
Peas should have 25mm of stalk and retain their waxy bloom. They should not be polished.
Radishes should be shown with 40mm of stalk.
Rhubarb should be shown with top foliage cut off leaving approx. 75mm from start of leaf stalk.
If exibits appear to the judge to be of equal merit, arrangement of the exhibit may be taken into account.
Preservation of natural bloom on all fruit is desired. It should not be polished.
All fruit (except apricots, nectarines, peaches and nuts) should be shown with stalks intact.

Jam jars should be covered with a wax disc and cellophane, or a lacquered metal lid, or a plastic lid (available from Women’s Institute) without a wax disc.
Bread and cakes should be at least 24 hours old.
It is advisable to cover all food with cling film.
Cakes look attractive if presented on a china plate with doyley.
Use plenty of cling film to enable judges to re-seal or cover cakes, etc. Alternatively, plate covers will be provided by the Society on the day.
Based on the British Poultry Standards book:
Eggs judged for external appearance should be of an elliptical cone shape, circular in cross-section, of even colour, with regular mottles or speckles, where appropriate.
Eggs judged for content should have a bright, golden-yellow yolk, free from streaks or spots without any sign of embryo development. Albumen should be clear with no spots or cloudiness.
Decorated eggs can be whole or cut with painted interiors, but the egg shape must be visible and recognisable. Decoration may be with beads, shells, cardboard and colouring.

N.B. A bantam egg should weigh no more than 1½ oz (42.5g), being from a small example of a larger breed of hen.