A raiser of new fruit has been pushing his novelty by virtue of an "award" by a prominent horticultural society. As the fruit is not exactly what is expected of it, it has become necessary to explain that the award was only made "to encourage exhibitors to bring things, - a compliment to the exhibitors industry and not as a reward for the fruit." We do not give names and details, because it is not our object to reflect on the circumstance so much, as it is to urge again what we have so often suggested, that individual competition has gone beyond its day, - what we now want is competition with a high standard, and judges should be made to say in their awards how near the exhibit approaches it.