VEGETABLE CROPS.

New Zealand Herald, Volume LXVIII, Issue 20976, 12 September 1931, Page 8 (Supplement)

VEGETABLE CROPS.

SEASONABLE OPERATIONS. Every opportunity should be taken to deeply break up and prepare the ground in readiness for sowing and planting when favourable conditions prevail. At no season of tho year is the preparation and cultivation of the soil of greater importance for the successful raising and growing of vegetable crops than in the spring. Although to obtain tho greatest success good cultivation is necessary at all seasons of the year, it is even more essential with early sown crops when the temperature is so variable with often an excess of moisture in the soil.

Many crops that in more favourable seasons would bo well advanced in growth at this time could this season be scarcely sown with much prospect of success, and nothing is gamed by sowing seeds when the soil is in a sodden condition, as much better results will be obtained by waiting until the soil is in a condition to be well-worked and finely broken up without puddling. In sowing, too, another important matter is the depth the seeds should be sown. At this time when there is plenty of moisture in the soil, few seeds require the same depth of covering as those sown later and when tho weather is more settled. In addition to sowing the various varieties of vegetable seeds, the planting out as soon as weather permits of potatoes, Jerusalem artichokes, asparagus, lettuce, rhubarb, cabbage and cauliflower in well prepared ground should have attention. CULTURE OF CAULIFLOWERS. In the cultivation of cauliflower complaints aro fx-equently heard of the plants tailing to produce satisfactory heads. This is invariably the result of insufficient attention being given to the plants in their early stages of growth. To grow cauliflowers with the most satisfactory results. the plants require to be grown without check from the time the plants are raised until ready for use. As a rule, however, the plants are left in the seed beds until sufficiently advanced for planting out, and then pulled up with often little more than one straight, tap root. When planted in this condition, they receive a severe check from which they take a long time to recover. The most successful method of treating cauliflower plants after they are raised and have made three or four of their rough leaves is to prick them out four or five inches apart in good soil and allow thnm to remain until sufficiently advanced for finally planting out. In a short time they become well furnished with fibrous roots, and if lifted with a trowel with a ball of earth attached they can bo transplanted with little or no check, and almost every plant will produce well-grown heads. They succeed best in deeply-worked soil, the manure being placed fairly w r ell below the surface.