VEGETABLE ROWING

Evening Post, Volume CXIV, Issue 50, 27 August 1932, Page 10

VEGETABLE ROWING

FOR RELIEF WORKERS

;SQME SIMPLE DIRECTIONS

; ;A correspondent suggests that-some simple directions about yegetablef grow-, ing would be of assistance.to many.'of : 'the relief workers who have no knowledge of the subject. The. first tk|ng is, of course, to (t pre.pare the ground. In - most'oases-the Idiots will be practically virgin soil or aground which has not been used' for some time, and in that case.very little in the way of manuring will be required for the first season. A dressing of lime, about lib to the square yard, or .superphosphate, 2oz or 3oz to the square yard, will bo all that is required. A' good digging to the full depth of the spade will be sufficient, although trenching is an advantage in all cases. " The illustration shows the importance of keeping1 the spade in an upright, position when digging to ensure working the soil'to the full depth. The spadeful of-soil should-be turned right, over .with the sod underneath. Break: the. soil with' tlie spade as you go, ana after' a day or two it will easily work down.fine 'with a rake, it is important that the* top few inches should be'worked fine for seed sowing. It stands to reason that when the soil" is i'OUgh-and lUiupy; ifc':is; impossible to sow,', the seed -.fa aa^CTen depth, some seeds being r-coVereO^witlT 'hard lump's" haying no. chance . in,, the' world of coming through.'.; ■ ■■ . Having made the plot smooth, a line should be stretched to: mark the rows For-small seeds,;such as carrots, onions be6t,r parsnips, lettuce, spinach, turnips, etc.,, the drill. may be made with the back_ Of the' rake. About :one-half' to one inch' is deep 'enongh'to cover the seedj and after covering go along the row and tap the soil 'down 'with the flat of; the ; rake. It is important to make the 'soil' fairly firm above the seeds. Peas, • beans, and other larger seeds are usually sown in double rows spacing them abont three or four inches' apart, thus-, • , > -r From one to two inches deep is sufficient. ; ' "Birds are troublesome to seeds in the spring, pulling up the tiny seedlings as-soon as they appear1 through the soil. Tp-protect"them stretch black cottons along the rows about half ari inch from the surface. ' Peas, turnips, and radish are particularly liable- to be Attacked. ' ONIONS. ' Onions require rich soil, as do air of that family—leeks, shallots, etc. The beds should bo thoroughly worked, and manured and then'^niade very firm. This may be done .by tramping, but it is essential that the soil be fairly dry beforo the tramping is! done, otherwise the surface will cake- and the seeds will not bo able to germinate or push through the crust. : When planting onions the roots only should be put'into the ground, leaving the little bulb on. the surface. The plants will probably lie over, but as soon as the roots start to function the plants will stand up again. TO SOW SMALL SEEDS. In sowing small seeds it is very difficult to sow thin enough. When sown too thick there is much waste of seed and a lot of extra thinning has to be done later. The easiest method is to mix tho seed with some dry sand or fine dry. soil before sowing. Do not over-water,the seed rows. At this season of tho year no watering should be necessary, as the soil is thoroughly moist and even when it looks dry on the surface, after wind it will be found that there is plenty of moisture immediately below the sur-

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iface. As soon as the seedlings are up iand lave made . the second pairl of .-leaves' they should be thinned out. It to get good crops if the roots are crowded, ; CARROTS, ETC* ' : Carrots 3 parsnips, ana beet should be ;th>aned 'to;sis inches ;apart,"but'carrots ■fW fctep half, that .distance-at the first thinning, and as. they grow'every othe* °ne may be pulled for use while emalli .Carrots, parsnips,i .turnips,,:arid :beet .do .not; ,■ pijccess^uUy,, but green points, lettuces, cabbage cauliflower, silver beet, and onions- may be thmned and the surplus plants put out in rows. .-. . •■--•... ■ ; POTATOES." j 'do particularly well on new sou .whieh-is- fairly lightand4horonehly drained., Be sure to have plenty- of room between the rows—three feet at least—to allow plenty of room for earthing up. They may be planted a!

foot apart in the rows. The sets, which may be whole potatoes, about the size of aa egg, or cut sets each with two or three eyes, should be.placed about four to six inches deep. If the sets have been sprouted so much the better but it is not essential. ARTICHOKES. Artichokes are easily grown in any decent soil. They have tall tops, so should be planted where they will not niterfero with lower-growing subjects. They may be used to form a shelter hedge. The tubers are planted the same as potatoes. As the various crops progress the soil between the rows should be frequently loosened up.