VEGETABLE CROPS.

New Zealand Herald, Volume LXVII, Issue 20626, 26 July 1930, Page 5 (Supplement)

VEGETABLE CROPS.

WORK TO BE DONE.

As the season advances increased attention will have to bo given to tho requirements of tho vegetable garden. With the advent of August, improved weather can usually be looked for, when the sowing ami planting of most vegetnblo crops required for spring and early summer will have to be made. Little, however, is gained by early sowings unless tho ground is first thoroughly worked and manured and placed in a condition that will ensure healthy, vigorous growth. A delay of a week' or two in sowing can often bo made up by good cultivation and attention. The inovo favourable tho soil and situation for early sown or planted crops, tho better will bo the results obtained.

in raising early crops, much actually depends upon tho locality whoro tho garden ia situated, so that discretion must in ovcry case be exercised in sowing. In our more northerly districts, for instance, crops can bo successfully raised many weeks before it would bo safe to sow or plant in more southerly and colder localities. All vegetable crops succeed best where the ground has been deeply due, or trenched, and well provided" with manure.

ADVICE ON MANURING.

Although artificial fertilisers are essen tial, and can bo applied with advantage once the plants aro established, good stable or farmyard manure, or other decayed vegetable matter, provides the necessary humus and supplies the young plants with tho requisite food tn ensure healthy growth. The manure should be wel! incorporated with tho soil to a depth of nine inches or ten inches. Very deep rooting plants, however, or plants that are likely to suffer during dry weather, should havo the manure placed deep enough to supply the roots with food when they havo reached their full depth. For root crops such as carrots, parsnips, longrooted beet, salsify and similar crops, better results aro obtained when grown in soil that has been well manured for a previous crop. Tn these cases no fresh manure should be applied at tho time of sowing.