HOW TO CROP THE KITCHEN GARDEN,

Otago Witness, Issue 1970, 22 August 1889, Page 9

HOW TO CROP THE KITCHEN GARDEN,

To obtain thft greatest amount of profit from the kitchen garden a proper system of cropping must be resorted to— a system by which a change of crop will, as far as .is practicable, be made every year, and the space provided for the respective crops when the time arrives for sowing or planting them. This is to say, the quarter that was occupied with one class of vegetables last year should be planted with a totally distinct class this year, and the planting bo arrangad that as the time arrives for planting one crop, a vacant plot shall be ready for it. If this is not done the cultivator will at onß period be unablo to provide accommodation for all the crops he is anxious to grow, and at the other the garden will be half empty. It is not possible to carry out a perfect system of rotation in small gardens, for the space will not admit of its being dono ; but much more might be done than is the case at present in that direction. Rotation Cropping, — In commencing operations in the spring — for that is when the real work of the kitchen garden begine — the mind must be carried somewhat in advance of the work, for we have not only to look at the effect of present arrangements, but we must endeavour to foresee how it will run in with the after-crops, and for facilitating the changing of the crops another year. Those who have neither mind nor eye to do so will soon get into a confusion, and render a systematic progress impossible for that year. With only a moderate amount of forethought the cultivator can see one whole season before him ; and with only a little preparation can select the sites for his crops another year. He should avoid distributing his crops in a haphazard mariner, such as sowing his onions in small patches in various parts af the garden, and his carrots and beetroot the same, but should endeavour to place them side by side on ono quarter of thogardon, and the parsnip bed with them. He then will be able to Fee that when the onions aro removed in February the ground will come in well for a bed of spring cabbages, to be planted in the autumn ; and when the other crops are removed, and the ground well manured and trenched during winter, it will serve for an early crop of cauliflower the next spring, and the first batch of Brussels sprouts. It might be used for an early crop of potatoes, to be followed as soon as taken up in January by winter and spring broccoli. In either case such an arrangement will be a distinct change in cropsj and will secure those belonging to the cabbage tribe being together. If the quarters are large, and will admit of the peas for the season's supply being one of them, it should be set aside expressly for them, commencing at one side with the firet crops, and continuing them so throughout. But rather than crowd, them, it is advisable to distribute peaß over all the garden, for they will always pay for their room. Six feet apart is the least distance for tall peas, but 12ft is better for such varieties as the British Queen, Ne Plus Ultra, and a few | others ; and such distances admit of a fair average crop of any other vegetable betwaen, which will suffer nothing, but be rather benefited by the shade. But assuming that they have been sown uppn one quarter, our next business is to consider to what other purposes we can put the ground after they have done bearing. Taking the first crop that was sown, there can be sown between the rows a crop of Bummer spinach or radishes. This crop of peas, and the crops of other vegetables between the rows, will be cleared off the ground

about the third week in December} which will be in excellent time to get out a crop of Brussels sprouts, Scotch kale, or a good white winter broccoli. As tho second crop of peas is removed' there will be more room given for spring broccoli, which should be planted as fast as possible up to the middle of February. Supposing the broccoli has filled up half of the quarter, thero will still be vacant spaces between the later peas } and here the main supply'bf celery may be put out— one trench between each two rows of peas. As Boon as these are off, and there is more space between the celery trenches than ig wanted, let it be filled up with cole worts for autumn uae ; these will come away in ample time for the earthing of the celery. Such, then, is the cropping of one quarter of the garden for a year. If the reader will take the trouble to consider it overj he will find that by working out this rotation two crops are secured in one year. It will bo seen, too, that by this arrangement the crops are uniform, and follow each other well ; for the quarter is in full work all the summer, and in the autumn itis well stocked with winter subjects, and they all together, not in patches in various parts of the garden, which would sadly interfere with the necessary operations of pulverising fche soil. By looking ahead still farther, we shall find this same quarter the next - summer, or that portion where the celery grew, cropped with onions, parsnips, and parrots, for which the extra moving of the soil necessarily attending the cultivation of celery haß rendered peculiarly fitting, Oa the other part, a good gardener would only grow what may be called a Bhort crop after the Epring broccoli is over, because he would be anxious that during the next winter it should ha vacant, that be might by ridging or trenching expose it to the action of the frost. A crop of potatoes or dwarf kidnoybeans would fill up the space well, and leave the ground about tbe same time as the other half would be re* dy for a winter's rest. Thus we see what can be easily effected by management and forethought ; for we have this same quarter that waa cropped heavily last winter quite empty this, whioh a winter's rest will greatly benefit. MISCELLANEOUS. Yellow kowhai and pohutakawa trees at the Great Barrier are already in blossom, although the usual time for the former is September, and fche latter December. Mr Cheeseman, of tho Auckland Museum, and one of our best botanists, would not believe tho incident till specimens were brought from the island. According to Native proverbs, this is an indication of a mild spring and a dry summer. Novoltieo in Floriculture. —At the flower show of tho Royal Horticultural Society of England, hold rocontly at Westminster, Mr Voitch received a silver Bnnksian medal and ft first-class certificate for one of the finest hybrid orohida raised. It is a cross betwoou Laslia Digbyana and Cattleya Mossise and partakes of tho characters of both ita parents, deriving its colouring (which is of the palest carmine, with a yellow blotch on tho lip) from its ma tornal parent, the catUeya, and its general form and fringed lip from the Iselia. A curious department of the South African flora was represented by the Cape cunonia, bearing long and dense white spikes. The following is an American method of raising tomatoes, which may be useful where pots are scarce : — A large grower of tomatoes has found the following plan of raising plants all that can b3 desired : — He rolls strips of resin paper into cylinders 3in in diameter and 6in deep, locking tho ends by driving two tacks through the paper and clinching them on a piece of iron pipe as an anvil or block. These bottomless cups are arranged in the frame and fillod with aoil in which the eeed is planted. When the plants arß ready to set out they are large and well rooted, and are transplanted with the cy Under around them. Tina is slipped up so as to project 3in above the ground and make an obstacle over which cutworms will not climb, and bo the danger is evaded, as well as all risk of checking the growth by transplanting. He haa set out plants already in blossom withou" any check by means of this devioe. Mr Henderson, of Tambourine, improved on this plan by utilising old fruit and jam tins ; these he placed on a Blow fire until tho solder melted, then the bottoms and tops falling away left the curved sides available as pots. A piece of string tied round kept the sides from springing apart. Bedding geraniums must be kept: cool and modarately dry, but more frequent watering will be necessary as tho temperature advances. Products of a Cottage Garden. — A cottager near Wickbam Market, in Suffolk, with a love for flowers and garden culture, on which he spent hiß spare time, managed to roalise £35 bet year by tho calo of the produce from 90 roods of pardeu and allotment ground. His daughter, in addition, sold cut flowers to the value of nearly £5, He also supplied his own tcble with vegetables, the coat of which he estimated at £5.