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Rules for Judging PF's

Rules for Judging Perpetual Flowering Carnations And Standards of Excellence

The following Rules for judging Perpetual Flowering Carnations must be applied by officialy appointed British National Carnation Society judges at National and Local shows.
All previous Rules and Standards for judging Perpetual Flowering Carnations are hereby rescinded.
The standard and quality of Perpetual flowering Carnations must be judged as follows and in the order given.
lst Form and Freshness; 2nd Colour; 3rd Size

1. FORM
The flower should be circular in outline with guard petals at right angles to the stem. Guard petals should overlap one another without gaps and the second row of petals should overlap the crossings of the guard petals.
The petals at the crown of the flower should be tight and a hole in the crown of the flower is deemed a serious fault as are petals that are creased and that have retained a ‘U, shape. High crowned flowers are equal to medium or low crowned flowers. Flowers with smooth edged petals are equal to flowers with serrated edge petals providing that the serrations are regular. Flowers should be a true representative sample of the variety, flowers that have been dressed and change the character of the variety should be overlooked. Stems should be rigid and support the flower so that the flower faces upwards. Flowers with weak stems that face downwards should be overlooked.

2. FRESHNESS
A fresh flower providing it has form is superior to one that is past it’s peak of perfection. A flower showing stigmas can still be fresh.

3. COLOUR
Selfs should be of one ground colour If any shall have a small sign of another colour however minute e.g. spots, ticks or shading, the flower must be down pointed using the points allocated for colour.
Fancies should be of one pure ground colour and may be striped, flaked, spotted, suffused or otherwise marked with another colour or colours. Self petals on a fancy flower is deemed a major fault.
Picotees should have a pure ground colour devoid of spots, ticks and have a contrasting margin of colour on the edge of the petals. This margin may be narrow (termed wire edged) medium or heavy and must be continuous and unbroken, the colour of the margin must not run down or bleed into the pure ground of the petals.

4. SIZE
The size of the flower should be representative of the variety. Large flowers are superior to small flowers provided that they retain form and freshness and thereby not coarse.

5. UNIFORMITY
In multi bloomed classes a vase containing flowers evenly matched in size is superior to one with flowers of uneven sizes; all other attributes being equal.

6. PRESENTATION AND STAGING
These must be considered in close competition.

7. MAXIMUM AND MINIMUM HEIGHT OF EXHIBITS
Unless the Schedule states otherwise Perpetual Flowering Carnation exhibits must have a height of not less than 12 inches to the bottom of the lowest flower and not more than 24 inches to the highest flower, measured from the top of the vase to the guard petals at the top of the caylx. Exhibits containing flowers below or above these measurements must be disqualified. This rule does not apply to vases containing five or more blooms.

8. FOLIAGE
Separate Perpetual Flowering Carnation foliage must be used. Vases containing no foliage must be disqualified.

9. CALYX
The number of points or claws on a calyx e.g. 5, 6 or 7 must not be considered at all. A burst calyx must disqualify. Calyx bands remaining on an exhibit must disqualify.

10. PESTS AND DISEASES
An exhibit containing an infestation of pests or diseases must not be considered, however, isolated pests or disease do not constitute an infestation. Examples of pests and diseases are Thrips and their markings on petals, Red Spider Mite on Calyx, stems, foliage, or flower, Aphids on flowers, foliage or stems, Rust, Mildew or Spot on flower foliage. All the above also includes the packing and display foliage which forms part of the exhibit.

11. NAMING EXHIBITS
All exhibits must show the name of the cultivar(s) on the cards provided. New, unnamed seedlings must be marked “Seedling’. Cultivars unknown to the exhibitor must be marked “Unknown”.

12. POINTS SYSTEM
This points system must be used in all cases where there are two or more exhibits which appear to be of equal merit as judged, in accordance with the foregoing Rules and Standards.
The points systems: For PF,s allows 7 points for form, 7 points for freshness, 3 points for colour and 3 points for size, totalling 20 points. These points may be subdivided.
The points systems: For Picotees allows 7 points for form, 7 points for
freshness, *6 points picotee markings, totalling 20 points. *From the above deduct from 6 points as follows:-
Odd occasional fleck less 2 points Lightly flecked most petals less 4 points Heavily marked most petals less 6 points

13. SEEDLING
Seedling means an unnamed cultivar grown from seed, even if some or all of the flowers exhibited are from plants grown as cuttings from the original seedling. If exhibited against named cultivars they must be judged equally.

14. SPORTS
A sport means a bloom that has developed different colour or colours or other characteristics that differ from the existing cultivar on which it grew. Sports must contain the name, or part of the name, of the original cultivar, plus a word defining, if possible, the variation, e.g. “Skyline” — “Red-edged Skyline”.
Sports must be shown in the appropriate colour classification, not in seedling classes. If the exhibitor is unsure of the correct classification regarding the colour, he should consult the Show Superintendent or Show Secretary who will inform the judges of his decision. If the judges disagree with the classification they must move the exhibit to a new class and then judge it.

15. WIRING
Wiring of stems carries disqualification in all National, Area or Affiliated society shows that are judged by BNCS qualified judges. At affiliated shows where wiring is custom and practice it must be clearly marked in the schedule that it is permitted otherwise the exhibits