SEASONABLE NOTES.

Otago Witness, Issue 1971, 14 November 1889, Page 9

SEASONABLE NOTES.

From reports received by the Minister of Agriculture it appears that a solution of caustic oocia has been used in Tasmania for destroying the codlin moth with great effect. A free use of tho hoe among all advancing crops acts mo3t beneficially in several ways, and ia more necessary this season than usual. Weeds, it ia almost needless to add. thrive in spite of the weather, and are most abundant, but surface hoeings are not needed to keep these down only, as they prove equally as destructive to slugs as to weeds, more especially as regards checking their increase.. Lumpy ground, or any tbat has been trampled on or worked when in a very wet state, ia the first to lose moisture in dry weather, in many instances cracking badly. Breaking down these lumps and eurfaca hoeing are tbe surest preventives of this, as a fine or loose surface is the best "calculated to retain what heat the ground absorbs from the sun, and with it much of the moisture that would otherwise be evaporated. It should also be borne in mind that frequent surface hoeings have a moßt stimulating effect upon advanciug crops, especially- tiny seed :< lings, these deriving much benefit frem the fertilising influences of the atmosphere as well as from the warmth of the sun. ' A very light surfacing of aome kind of Bpecial manure or soot applied during showery weather, and stirred in with the flat hoe, is also necassary on poor ground, this materially hastening the growth of onions, carrots, turnips, spinach, cabbage, lettuce, and other vegetablea and salading. -' • ,•, • , . . Potatoes.— Warm weathe? has brought these on rapidly, and aJa.iT a» abundance of weeds., In order to destroy ,tbe latter and to loosen the coil between the rows, all those sufficiently advanced to mark the rows ought to bo heavily hoed,- this also letting in- mocs. warmth to the Voota. •. If .it .is intended to manure the jpfttajioes from tho aurface,,now, or fust prior to toeing, ft a good time to apply it. A dressing, of soot, guano, superphosphate of lime, or sqme other kind of Bpecial manure being applied early, the potatoes and also bucceeding jcropa would be' materially benefited Thinning Out and Tbansplakting.—Turnips first need attention, as theHO, where they have escaped sluga, are growing rapidly. They should' at fitßt be lightly- thinned out, the plants, if all escape iDJuty, being .eventually thinned to a distance of from Gin to 9<n apart, tbe early atrap-leaved varieties needing the leasf room. Turnips' transplant readily in ■showery weather, but. in a d.ry season like the present it would be 'useless to try the experiment. Where there ate thick patches in the onion bed tbe sooner they are thinned out the ' more easily it can be done. Supposing 1 the lows are from lOin to 12in apart, the most serviceable bjzb of onionß can be , obtained by tbinnipg out the yquag plants to i about 4in apart each way, and if other con- « ditions are at all favourable, a heavy crop of . solid bulbs should result. If exhibition pnions are needed, 'then the plants must be more freely thinned out. Oaiona transplant best when about 6in high and naturally in showery weather. It is now the.only way qfunprovine the appearance and value of torn rows, and if done quickly and well any moved may overtake those undißturbed. Whoro a jjonsi. derable number of young onions ara wanted for salads, raise or leave the planta Siuskly in an pnt3ide row, rather than delay iinally thinning out the rest of the beds. It is not often neeesWy to commence thiunmg early carrots before some of tbe roots are large enough for use. The thinning of the Jarger horn carrots ehould go on almost daily through., out the summer, and there will be usually abundance left' for winter use; Many of the small roots do not commence to swell off till more room is given. The larger intermediate and later varieties ought to be thinned out while yat they cache drawn easily, a distance of 6in or rather - more apart being ample, Parsnips are usually sown much earlier tbaji thero & any .occasion for. Moderately large roots are Buperior to huge specimena, and, unloss the latter are payticularly required, it w advisable to leave-the plauis from gin to 9in apart. . It should be remembered tbay comparatively mail roots arethebsat in point of quality" and for keeping. Parsmps may also be transplanted, buiT tne generally breaks tho tap-toots, and Bhorfc forked estataploa are tbe result. As cearae mots of beet are decidedly objectionable, much FQoin must not b« given to iha young plants, especially if there were raised early, A distance of about 6in apart is sufficient."