FARM AND GARDEN OPERATIONS FOR FEBRUARY.

Daily Southern Cross, Volume XXVIII, Issue 4506, 3 February 1872, Page 3

FARM AND GARDEN OPERATIONS FOR FEBRUARY.

During this and last month the weather is generally too :lry and hot for sowing seeds, as they will not geiminate— however, there is plenty of work to be done, ploughing, hai rowing, burning, fencing, ditchiu?, drain ing, cleaning out water courses, carting manure, &c, and making preparations for sowing autumn crop in March or beginning of April. The main crop of potatoes may be taken up, and put away at once under cover — first, however, selecting your seed for next crop ; pick well-formed, smooth-skinned, flat-eyed, middling-sized ones ; some farmers will use none but large potatoes cut, leaving one eye in each set ; our experience, howcrer, is in favour of smaller sizes, with the growing end cut off, leaving two, or at most three, eyes — and for seed the potatoes will be improved by beinv; spread out in the open air to green before storiug. After reaping the grain put cattle on the land to eat off grass and weeds, then plough it up. Collect the weeds on the surface and burn as directed for last month. In foul pastures or land full of roots and weeds, paring and burning is the very beat method for clearing the land. You may sow Cape barley and oats this month for green food ; they will spring with the h'rstrain. Summer-fallow new fern land for permanent pasture. Forest land only requires felling and burning ; fell three months before firing Heht scrub ; but heavy bush eight or even twelve montha win im r.^nirflrl Early in March or April is the time to burn. Kitchen Harden. —As the peas are gathered plant late celery, savoys, cabbages, broccoli, and cauliflower; plant after heavy rain. Vie must be guided by the seasons in sowing and planting ; far better let the plants remain in thfi seed-beds till the nights get a little longer and the air cooler, besides insects are very troublesome at this season. Fbuit Garden.— Gather fruit as it ripens ; see that the young trees have a liberal supply of water, or the fruit may ripen prematurely and drop off. Strawberry beds done bearing should have the runners cut away, and the hoe run through them ; preserve as much of the foliage as possible, as that in a great measure tends to mature , the dormant bud for the following season's crop oL fruit. Cut away canes from the raspberries after the crop is gathered, and encourage the young growth for next season's crop 5 leave about four or five young rods, and destroy all the rest. Hoe all spare ground ; trim hedges. Flowkr Gardbn.— Operations this month — watering, staking, tying, bedding plants in full flower. Attend to mowing, sweeping, rolling, and keep the edges well defined, so as forgive all a neat finished appearance. Greenhouse. — Chrysanthemums must be shifted into their flowering potß. Cut down pelargoniums done flowering and ripened their wood, set them in a shady place out of ddora,* till they break into leaf. Cuttings) will strike freely out of doora or in a cool! frame if shaded. Heaths and all hard; wooded plants plunged in a shady place out; of doors. A« soon as cinerarias (have formed), suckers, .shake them out and divide the 1 raot«, pot the best into " four inch jpots fori another Sseaaon,; sained to^^the^ciil^eoVatia. Keep this department gay with floweti,ln succession.— Chapman** Almanac,