THE VEGETABLE GARDEN.

Northern Advocate, 23 August 1924, Page 9 (Supplement)

THE VEGETABLE GARDEN.

While some vegetables are grosser feeders than others it is generally true that all vegetables like a fairly inch, retentive, but well-drained soil. The richness of a soil may be broadly expressed in • terms of the amount of humus it contains. Humus is the allimportant dark colouring matter in the soil—that something in the soil that gives the latter a certain amount of. grip, that enables it to hold moisture, that warms it, that encourages useful soil organisms and soil activities of a chemical nature, and that goes far to supply food to growing plants. Humus is developed in the soil by digging in greenstuff sufficiently soft-wooded to rot readily. If the soil is deficient in humus, it might easily be quite unresponsive even after the liberal application of artificial fertilisers. In this case the soil may act. like a filter-bed, allowing useful water to percolate too freely with the result that artificial soluble fertilisers readily find their way into the drainage water and out of reach of the plant roots. It is very necessary then to see that our soil is supplied with an amount of humus sufficient to meet the demands of our growing crops. If we have not already dug in oats or mustard or grass cuttings or rotted stable manure, this matter should be attended to before our spring sowings are attempted. Short, well-rotted manure is excellent for the purpose. It should not only be buried into the soil; it should be thoroughly mixed with the soil at a depth, to be regulated by the habit of the particular crop that is to follow. Roughly speaking it may be from six to twenty four inches. If the ground ds right; if for example it has been manured since autumn, it should be roughly forked over and a dusting of lime applied; and it should be left in this rough state for a week or two so that the air may become thoroughly incorporated with the surface soil. The lime will help to sweeten the soil and incidentally it might be the means of destroying lurking soft-bodied insects, etc. Before sowing, the soil should be rak.'d over so as to obtain a fine surface or tilth. After sueh treatment, the soil may or may not require the application of artificial fertilisers; but very little should be necessary provided the soil condition is right. In any case a dusting of a super-sulphate of potash, mixture (about six to one) would never be amiss. Sowings of broad beans, poas, parsnips, carrots, beet, onions, silver beet, turnips, spinach and lettuce may be made, and in a warm position u tentative sowing may be made of dwarf beans.