October 2t, 1389. ] 
JOURNAL OF HORTICULTURE AND COTTAGE GARDENER. 
357 
As an obj ct of garden culture Shortia will no doubt prove a 
favourite, for it appears to be easily grown and readily propagated. A 
specimen kindly given to me by Mr. Elwes early in this year was 
planted under a clump of Scotch Firs in a peaty soil near Sunningdale, 
and has thriven luxuriantly side by side with Linncea borealis and 
Trientalis europtea. The flowers have been described as rose coloured, 
but they are correctly figured as pure white in Sprague and Goodale's 
“Wild Flowers of North America,” and so they are in the specimens 
that have flowered in England. The leaves turn a deep port-wine red 
in autumn, and nothing can exceed the charm of the abundant drooping 
Snowdrop Eke flowers on red scapes as they appear amongst the deep 
green shining spring foliage. 
COLLECTIONS OF VEGETABLES. 
At the early autumn shows of horticultural societies collections of 
vegetables usually constitute an important feature, and when tastefully 
effect, and not more than four dishes (distinct) of any sort. The follow¬ 
ing varieties were shown by Mr. Beckett, who displayed them admirably, 
contrasting the colours in quite an artistic manner Drumhead Savoy, 
Brussels Sprouts, Standard Bearer Celery, Golden Globe and White 
Spa nish Onions, Summer Favourite and Scarlet Perfection Carrots, Per¬ 
fection Tomatoes, Anticipation Peas, Magnum Bonum Potatoes, Cham¬ 
pion Runner Beans, Jersey Lily Turnip, Perfection Beet, Maltese 
Parsnips, Mushroom spawn, Trophy and Abundance Tomatoes, pickliDg 
Cabbage ( red), Little Gem ditto (white),Scarlet Runner Bean, Canadian 
Wonder ditto ; Autumn Mammoth, Favourite, and Magnum Bonum 
Cauliflowers ; Blood Red and Excelsior Beet ; Exhibition, The Aigburth, 
and Matchless Sprouts ; Sulham Prize and Superb Pink Celery ; New 
Red Intermediate and Long Red Surrey Carrots ; Telegraph, Tender and 
True, Model and Telegraph Cucumbers ; Golden Dawn, Read Giant, 
and Long Red Capsicum; Exeter Fine Green Curled and White 
pwam 
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Fig. 43.—A PRIZE COLLEC1ION OF VEGETABLES. 
arranged, as the best exhibitors invariably display them, they produce 
quite a pleasing and varied effect. At the Crystal Palace Show recently 
-several classes were appropriated to vegetables, and the keen competi¬ 
tion brought out some admirable specimens of kitchen garden produce, 
as well as giving the exhibitors a chance of displaying their taste and 
skill in arrangement. One of the best of these in all respects was that 
for which Mr. T. A. Beckett, Cole Hatch Farm, Amersham, was awarded 
a first prize, and so effective was this collection that we have had an 
-engraving (fig. 43) prepared from a photograph supplied by Messrs. 
Negretti & Zambra to represent its chief characters. It has been neces¬ 
sary, however, to somewhat reduce the sides to admit it into our pages, 
consequently the corner examples of Parsnips, Turnips, and Celery are 
mot seeD. 
The class was for the best exhibition of vegetables arranged for 
Batavian Endive ; Mammoth White Cos, White Heart, Tom Thumb 
Cabbage, and Marvel Cabbage Lettuces ; Improved Reading and Ailsa 
Craig Onions ; Prizetaker, Musselburgh, and The Lyon Leeks ; Long 
Crimson, Olive Crimson, Scarlet Globe, and White Olive Radishes ; 
Snowball and Six Weeks Turnips; Long White, Improved Green Bush, 
Moore’s Cream, and Long Green Marrows ; Cardoons ; Green Globe and 
Jerusalem Artichokes ; Mammoth Gourd, Longstanding Spinach, Giant 
Salsafy, Parsnip Student; Mustard and Cress ; Parsley ; Seedlings, \ icar 
of Laleham, and Beauty of Hebron Potatoes ; and Giant Shallots. 
RATS IN GARDENS. 
In reply to “ L. K.,” I may say that if a rat comes on my premises 
I consider it a very cunning one to live many days without putting its 
