October 12, 1907. 
THE GARDENING WORLD. 
Vegetables at Edinburgh. 
FIRST PRIZE DISPLAY. 
There is generally a keen contest be- 
ween champion vegetable growers for the 
•aluable prizes offered for a display of 
■ighteen dishes of vegetables at tne 
uitumn show at Edinburgh, and a great 
imount of interest centres in the vege- 
ables, both amongst gardeners and the 
isiting public, because they have come to 
00k for something good in that class. 
3 n the nth and 12th ult., the first prize 
or the eighteen dishes was taken by Mr. 
ames Gibson, gardener to the Duke of 
’ortland, Welbeck Abbey, Worksop, 
sotts. He has on many previous occa- 
■ions won the first prize awarded at Edin- 
)urgh in this particular class. 
We give an illustration of this exhibit 
: or the benefit of our readers who have 
lever visited the autumn show at Edin- 
jurgh. and also for the benefit of those 
.ho are commencing exhibiting vegetables 
it local shows. Great stress is laid by the 
udges upon the selection of the vege- 
ables for the best appearance and form 
nd for the taste displayed in arranging 
hem so that evert’ dish will appear to ad- 
antage and readily catch the eye of the 
jeholder. The Leeks and Celery having 
eaves attached and being the most bulky 
fishes are set up behind, and between 
hese are two varieties of Cauliflower, also 
irranged to the best advantage, being em- 
ledded in Parsley, as is the base of the 
.eeks and Celery. 
The table consists of boarding with a 
back to it over the ordinary staging, and 
this is covered with a piece of dark velvet 
cloth. It will be noticed that the Onions 
stand out very prominently, and this they 
really do, as they are raised by an ar¬ 
rangement underneath the velvet cloth. 
The reader will notice that on the right- 
hand are Beet, Peas and Potatos, followed 
by Onions, Tomatos, Cucumbers, Carrots, 
Runner Beans, Tomatos and Onions 
again, then Potatos, Peas and Parsnips. 
Nothing is confused in this exhibit, and 
nothing hides imperfections. 
All the vegetables have, in the first 
place, been well grown. The Celery and 
Leeks well blanched, the Cauliflower cut 
while it was young, firm and white. The 
Onions had attained that degree of ripe¬ 
ness suitable to the period, and it usually 
means they are mature. We presume they 
were sown under glass in January or Feb¬ 
ruary and planted out some time in April, 
so that they have had a continuous period 
of growth till some time in August. The 
roots, such as Beets, Carrots and Par¬ 
snips, are got to suitable size according 
to their kind, carefully lifted, and as care¬ 
fully cleaned as the Potatos, without 
bruising or otherwise marking them. The 
Tomatos have, of course, been cut when 
they had attained a proper degree of 
maturity. The Peas are gathered when 
the pods are quite full, but still quite 
661 
fiesh, and the Beans when of suitable size 
and selected for shape. 
Furthermore, it may be stated that 
every member of each dish is selected sd 
that it may be as nearly as possible of the 
same size as every other unit of that dish. 
It is altogether a mistake to lift Potatos 
and to send big and little alike to the 
show. For instance, very small Potatos 
are worthless for exhibition purposes, and 
monstrous tubers are equally useless, 
either for that purpose or for the dinner 
table. The very large tubers may, there¬ 
fore, be discarded, as well as the small 
ones, and the tubers for exhibition selec¬ 
ted as nearly of one size and shape as pos¬ 
sible. Cucumbers should, of course, be 
cut before they get too old, of fair length 
and straight, with the original bloom on 
the skin, all these being indications of 
good cultivation. 
-- 
R.H.S. 
The Royal Horticultural Society have 
elected over 1,000 new fellows this year, 
making a total of 10,000 fellows on the 
roll of the society. The new research 
station and laboratory recently opened at 
the society’s gardens at Wisley, Surrey, 
are proving a great success. 
Liverpool Horticultural Society. 
Mr. Harold Sadler, the secretary of 
this Association (7, Victoria Street, Liver¬ 
pool), asks us to state that the Chrysan¬ 
themum and Fruit Show will be held on 
the 13th and 14th of November next, and 
the Spring Flower Show on the 8th and 
9th of April, 1908. 
The First-prise Display of 18 dishes of Vegetables at Edinburgh. 
