662 



H ORTI CULTUEE 



October 25, 1913 



CONDUCTED BV 



OUTDOOR VEGETABLES AND FRUIT 



Qaestlona by our readers in line with any of the topics presented on this page will be cordially received and promptly answered 

 by Mr. Jenkins. Such communications should InTariably be addressed to the office of HOKTICULTDRE. 



Exhibiting Vegetables 



Obviously it is useless to spend a great effort in the 

 production of fine exhibition vegetables and then to undo 

 it all by a poor presentation when the crucial time ar- 

 rives. There has been a marked improvement in many 

 of the fall exhibitions in the past few years in the man- 

 ner that vegetables are staged for exhibition but many 

 shows, especially the agricultural fairs, are lamentably 

 deficient in this particular. Let us then begin to prepare 

 at least a week before the show. 



Potatoes: Wash the potatoes with a sponge care- 

 fully, not to scratch tliem with any grit that may be 

 clinging to them. Use several lots of cold, clean water. 

 Having prepared a liberal amount by washing clean, pro- 

 ceed to select the exhibition specimens. Have an ideal 

 and try to get your tubers as near as possible to your 

 ideal, medium size, shallow eyes, clear skin and perfect 

 fieedom from bruises, scab, wormholes or other blem- 

 ishes. Then every potato should be as nearly uniform 

 with the rest as rigid selection can make them. The 

 specimens having been selected, carefully wrap them in 

 tissue paper and lay away in a dark cool cellar till the 

 day of the show arrives. 



Beets^ C'Ar.uoTS axd Parsnips may be washed and 

 selected the same way, perfect form, uniformity and 

 freedom from blemish being the ideal, as well as being 

 as large as possible. 



Onions: The onions may be selected and rubbed 

 carefully over by the bare hand to remove any rough, 

 loose skill. The tops should be bent over and neatly 

 tied with ralBa or string. The ideal here is: size as 

 large as possible, a smooth skin, well ripened and con- 

 formity 'to type. Handle the onions with care as they 

 bruise readily. Common newspaper makes a fine wrap- 

 per for them and each bulb should be wrapped sep- 

 arately. 



The foregoing having all been cleaned and selected 

 some five days to a week before the show we come now to 

 the more frail kinds. Some of these, such as the Mush- 

 rooms, are best picked on the morning of the exhibition 

 but the Cauliflower may be cut a couple of days ahead 

 and wrapped in wax paper, but first see that there are no 

 slues or worms in ainonsr the leaf stems. Trim off all 



the leaves except a few of the youngest which may be 

 left till staging time when they should be trimmed as 

 shown in photo. A good cauliflower for exhibition 

 measures from six to eight inches in diameter, is round, 

 convex, solid and as nearly pure white as possible. 



Leeks should be peeled, cleaned of all rough or dirty 

 skin, then sponged with cold water and wrapped with 

 wax paper till staged. 



Globe Artichokes may be cut and the stems put in 

 water a day or two prior to the show, if necessary to pro- 

 tect them from the weather. A geod specimen of an 

 Egg Plant should be uniform in color all around, large 

 and good shape and the several specimens shown should 

 match as nearly as possible. Don't show one large one 

 and two or three small ones if you can avoid it. Egg 

 plants may be gathered some days ahead if desired as 

 they keep well. 



Brussels Sprouts should be round, solid and dark 

 green. Tliey will stand picking a little in advance and 

 should be soaked for an hour or two in clear cold water 

 to clean them and fill them with moisture, then lay them 

 (lut thinly in a flat and cover with paper. 



Celery should be full heart, brittle, crisp and clear 

 (if rust or slug marks, as well as perfectly blanched. A 

 good soaking in cold water and sponging will clean it 

 and keep it fresh. Then after pulling off the coarsest 

 outside leaves tie it with a piece of raffia and when 

 staging trim off the roots. 



Tomatoes should be as nearly a perfect ball as pos- 

 sible, bright and clear of color, uncracked, firm, medium 

 and uniform size and showing a fresh green stalk at- 

 tached. Pick not more than a day ahead and wrap them 

 separately in two or three thicknesses of tissue paper. 



Peas should be reasonably full, young, free from 

 mildew and a good variety. 



Beans should be as large as possible so long as they 

 arc tender, crisp and young. Every pod ehould be per- 

 fectly straight. 



Cu(i'Miu:us for exhibition should be green, straight, 

 uniform in thickness, round and fresh, carrying a good 

 bloom. Wrap carefully in wax paper and handle the 

 fruit as carefully as you would a bunch of grapes. 



Lettuce should be large, fresh and solid, having the 

 outer leaves all in perfect condition. Soak well in water 



