STANDARD RULES AND MINIMUM REQUIREMENTS
for a national American Primrose Society show
held by an affiliated society approved by the APS Board (1961)
1. The local club sponsoring the show must be affiliated with the APS.
2. The show must be designated as a national show by the APS board of directors.
3. A national show must be open to the public for two days or more to include a weekend and close no later than 6 P.M. on the final day.
4. Entries must be accepted in clay or plastic pots. Other types of pots may be accepted to encourage entries by air express from far away members.
5. Entries from members living more than 500 miles from the show must be accepted on the morning of the show.
6. Entries in the arrangement classes should be accepted up to one hour before judging is scheduled to start.
7. The show will include, beside the individual plants for benching, a decorative section for arrangements, an educational display, and at least one planted display to show the use of the type of primula featured by the show.
8. In a national show the novice, amateur and professional entries will be judged separately.
9. Admission, except required tax, will be free to members of the APS upon display of their paid-up membership card.
10. Trophies must be engraved to include at least –APS national show, the year, the award, and the name of the winner; except when the trophy is of a material or a construction not suited to engraving. In lieu of the engraving a certificate with the same information that would be engraved on the trophy and signed by both the president of the sponsoring society and the president of the APS will be presented to the winner. The winner of any perpetual or revolving trophy will be presented a similar certificate with the trophy.
11. All primula plants in competition are to be judged as garden flowers by accredited APS judges, except show auriculas, alpine auriculas, and gold-laced polyanthus must be judged as show flowers by accredited floraculture judges.
12. Decorative displays and arrangements may be judged by the standards of the area in which the show is held.
13. Any time there are three or more entries of one type or color of primula not included on the schedule, a separate class will be created for them. A separate class may be set up for any entry not on the schedule if the show committee so desires. (This is useful when a new color break, new form or new hybrid is first exhibited.)
14. Points for figuring sweepstakes winners are: Blue ribbons = 3 points; division champion = 5 points; other special awards not division champions = 5 points; best plant of two or more divisions = 10 points; best plant in show = 15 points. Only when a tie exists will red ribbons (2nd place) be counted; then, they will be 2 points each.
DEFINITIONS
NOVICE
One who has never won a blue ribbon award for a primula plant in a show.
PROFESSIONAL
One whose income is derived mainly from the sale of plants.
JUNIOR
Age limits determined by the local society and published in the schedule.
PRIMROSE
Any species or hybrid of the genus Primula.
SEEDLING
A plant grown by the exhibitor from seed and displaying its first season’s bloom. Must be a single crown plant; except in the show auricula, alpine auricula, and gold-laced polyanthus class, a seedling is a plant that has not been named – and it does not have to be raised from seed by the exhibitor.
BORDER ALPINE
Auriculas grown as garden plants that are predominantly alpine in character but having minor flaws such as pin eye, notched or pointed petals that prevent its being benched as an alpine auricula.
GARDEN AURICULA
Any auricula grown as a garden plant that cannot beplaced in any other established section or class for competition.
SHOW AURICULA, ALPINE AURICULA AND GOLD-LACED POLYANTHUS
Plants that confoirm to the APS minimum standards of the type for benching to a show.
AMERICAN PRIMROSE SOCIETY
Recommended Judging Scores for Primulas
1976-1977
GARDEN POLYANTHUS
Flower = 50 points
Color: clear, rich…………………………….15
Substance…………………………………….15
Size of blossom……………………………..10
Clear eye………………………………………..5
Thrum eye………………………………………2.5
Fully opened blossom………………………2.5
Plant = 50 points
Umbel: full, symmetrical………………….15
Stalk: sturdy, round, tall…………………..20
Foliage: healthy, symmetrical…………..20
ACAULIS PRIMROSE
Flower = 50 points
Color: clear, rich…………………………….15
Good texture…………………………………15
Fully opened blossoms…………………..10
Size of blossoms……………………………..5
Clear eye……………………………………….2.5
Thrum eye……………………………………..2.5
Plant = 50 points
Floriferousness………………………………15
Florets not hidden…………………………..10
Foliage: healthy, symmetrical……………20
JULIANA HYBRIDS
Flower = 50 points
Color: clear, rich…………………………….15
Rare color: new or unusual………………..5
Eye: clear, small or none……………………5
Substance: substantial…………………….10
Form: symmetrical…………………………..10
Thrum eye………………………………………2.5
Texture: luminous, silky…………………….2.5
Plant = 50 points
Floriferousness………………………………20
Foliage: miniature, with rootstalk similar to P. juliae.…….20
Cultural excellence…………………………10
SPECIES AND OTHER TYPES NOT COVERED BY EXISTING POINT SCORES
Free from disease and damage………..20
Full bloom, good color……………………..30
General condition……………………………50
SEEDLINGS
Judged on individual merit and point scored according to section scores.
ADDENDUM
When several plants are in close competition and the score ties, some additional characteristics to be observed are: rose crown (embossed fluting circling the mouth of the tube), the most unusual color which is the most difficult to obtain, greatest depth of color, most beautiful or unusual eye, fragrance, floriferousness, comparative strength of stalk, condition of umbel, most perfect foliage.
AMERICAN PRIMROSE SOCIETY
Recommended Judging Scores for Show Plants and Garden Auricula, 1976
[*Pin-eyed flowers will be disqualified in classes marked with an asterisk]
ALPINE AURICULA*
Pip: round, flat, unnotched………………….15
Color: rich, shading to edge………………..20
Center: round and clear……………………..15
Tube: round, edge level with pip………….10
Anthers: dense, curved in…………………..10
Size, substance, condition…………………..10
Stem and footstalk……………………………..10
Foliage……………………………………………..10
SELF SHOW AURICULA*
Pip: round and flat……………………………….20
Color: solid, no shading……………………….15
Paste…………………………………………………20
Tube: round, edge level with pip……………10
Anthers: dense, curved in……………………….5
Size, substance, condition…………………….10
Stem and footstalk……………………………….10
Foliage……………………………………………….10
EDGED SHOW AURICULA*
Pip: round and flat……………………………….20
Body color: round, dark………………………..15
Paste…………………………………………………20
Tube: round, edge level with pip……………10
Anthers: dense, curved in……………………..5
Size, substance, condition……………………10
Stem and footstalk………………………………10
Foliage………………………………………………10
FANCY SHOW AURICULA*
Pip: round and flat……………………………….20
Body color: bright, may flash…………………15
Paste…………………………………………………20
Tube: round, edge level with pip…………….10
Anthers: dense, curved in……………………….5
Size, substance, condition……………………..10
Stem and footstalk………………………………..10
Foliage……………………………………………….10
POLYANTHUS, GOLD OR SILVER LACED*
Lacing: narrow, even, to center…………….30
Body color…………………………………………10
Center: round, gold, sharp……………………20
Anthers: dense, curved in…………………….10
Size and substance……………………………..10
Stem and footstalks……………………………..10
Foliage………………………………………………10
For Garden Auricula
Flower (50 points)
Color: clear……………………………….15
Substance………………………………..15
Open blossom, flat or ruffled………..2.5
Size………………………………………….10
Clear center………………………………15
Thrum………………………………………..2.5
Plant (50 points)
Umbel……………………………………….10
Stalk………………………………………….20
Foliage………………………………………20
For Border Alpine Auricula
Flower (50 points)
Color: clear, must be shaded from dark to light…..15
Substance………………………………..15
Open blossom, flat or ruffled………..2.5
Size………………………………………….10
Clear center………………………………15
Thrum………………………………………..2.5
Plant (50 points)
Umbel……………………………………….10
Stalk………………………………………….20
Foliage………………………………………20
1977
A proposed Standard of Excellence
For
DOUBLE ACAULIS & DOUBLE POLYANTHUS
Flower (25)
Unusually beautiful color and petal detail, including yellow and white ……….10
Fully double. Also, unconfined by calyx keeping it budded………………………10
Size of bloom……………………………………………………………………………………….5
Plant (25)
Acaulis stems sturdy, holding blooms above foliage, proudly, or Polyanthus stalks sturdy, holding a compact umbel proudly erect……………………………………….15
Floriferousness at time of showing; and leaf signs as to health and having wintered outdoors until show time………………………………………………………………………10
(All double acaulis are floriferous, and double polyanthus more so than singles, in their vain attempt to set seed.
A proposed Standard of Excellence
For
DOUBLE AURICULAS
Judging should follow that of Garden Auriculas except for these points:
Flower
5 uniformly double open pips of the same color…………………………………………………….10
Tube should be obscured by petals and light eye, if any, at least partially obscured……5
Pip: ideal form would be a full 1/2 ball……………………………………………………………………5
Stem & footstalk must be able to support truss and pips well………………………………….10