VEGETABLES FOR EXHIBITION. 



381 



of lime would be benefited by a dressing of this invaluable material. 

 Distribute these ingredients evenly over the ground, digging in these 

 fertilisers a week or so previous to the work being carried out. 



Assuming we have cultivated our vegetables satisfactorily, the ques- 

 tion of the selection of the best specimens requires a great amount of 

 patience and overlooking of the different crops. Some time before the 

 date of an exhibition an enthusiastic grower of high-quality vegetables 

 will have noted the more promising specimens of the different subjects in 

 their beds and quarters. In addition to the mental notes made, he will 

 find it an immense advantage to mark many of the best specimens with 

 sticks, and in this way save much valuable time when pressure is greatest. 

 Cauliflowers should be inspected daily, and effectually protected from the 

 light by a covering of fresh leaves. Slugs and caterpillars are always a 

 source of anxiety with this crop, as they quickly cause a blemish ; for this 

 reason they should be searched for and exterminated. It will be necessary 

 in some instances to pull the Cauliflowers, in which case they should be 

 hung, head downwards, in a cool shed or cellar. To Lettuces, Cabbages, 

 and all members of the Brassica family the foregoing remarks also apply. 

 Root crops such as Potatos, Carrots, Beetroot, &c. should be dug before- 

 hand and the selected specimens packed away in sand or fine soil in a 

 cool place. Parsnips should not be dug up till the day previous to an 

 exhibition, or much of their freshness will be lost. 



Referring again to size, too much importance should not be placed on 

 specimens of mere size. Potatos, Carrots, Beetroot. Cabbages, Cauli- 

 flowers, and Cucumbers should be of medium size, and, if possible, fault- 

 less in quality. The case is different, however, with Onions, Leeks, 

 Celery, Peas and Beans, and Tomatos, as size should be regarded with 

 favour, provided the specimens are perfect in other respects. It is 

 important, too, to pay special attention to the question of variety. The 

 cleansing of the selected specimens demands more^ attention than it 

 usually receives. The root should not be roughly handled ; on the con- 

 trary, it should be treated with the utmost care. When washing them it 

 is fatal to use a scrubbing-brush, as the inexperienced frequently do to 

 their cost. Three tubs of water and some good pieces of sponge are alone 

 requisite : one tub for soaking the specimens, another for washing, and 

 a third for giving the final rinsing — the water in the latter being quite 

 clean. From roots of the character of Parsnips, Carrots, Beet, and 

 Turnips, all small rootlets should be removed with a sharp knife, and 

 each root as it is finished laid on clean mats and kept, covered until 

 packed. 



Medium-sized oblong hampers are best for conveying produce to and 

 from an exhibition. The grower should also provide himself with a 

 number of small boxes in which to pack separately such vegetables as 

 Tomatos, Peas, Beans, Brussels Sprouts, and similar subjects, and each 

 box should be labelled, to avoid confusion when packing and unpacking. 

 The best packing material is fine wcod-wool, and this should be used 

 quite freely. Each root should be wrapped separately in white tissue- 

 paper, and these should be packed next to the boxes in the bottom of the 

 hamper. On these in turn carefully arrange Leeks, Onions, Beans, 

 Cauliflowers, and other subjects of similar character. Cucumbers should 



