ON THE LAND

Stratford Evening Post, Issue 66, 15 October 1930, Page 3

ON THE LAND

FARM AND GARDEN. FA KM. $ The time is now at hand for the sowing of soft turnips. Obser'• a l,l r farmers have already found ti<>n, their own experience the varieties and manures that give the best results with the particular soil with which they are working. In general terms, it is best to use as a manure 3cwt. of potassic basic superphosphate per acre. This mixture is simply taken as a basis, recommending the use of potash at the rate of about Jcwt. per acre. This makes the plants more disease resistant and gives a sounder and healthier crop. ■ The basic superphosphate is a suggestion that it is best to use a base phosphate in preference to the acid phosphate superphosphate. The reason given i s that the acid phosphate tends to encourage fungoid diseases, such as club-root. It is to me very debatable whether superphosphate doeg make the soil so acid that the fungoid diseases will develop more rapidly in this soil. ' There is no doubt that the diseases do flourish well in' aoh| but there is to my mind certainly a very grave doubt ns to whether the superphosphate does ; make for these conditions. However, while this doubt does exist, it i s wise to be on the safe 1 side, and so use basic superphos- ■ phate for preference. Another phase of the cultivation of this crop that one meets with, As whether it is right to roll the ■ land before sowing or not. I have met many who firmly say that they have had their best results from no rolling and others who are equally positive in the other direction. In point of fact, both are right, and the deciding factor is to a large extent the previous cultivation. If the land has bedn ploughed very early and so the turf has had a chance to decay aril the soil to he consolidated beneath by this decay and heavy early rains, then the need for a roller is reduced to a very large extent. Again, it is ' possible that almost at the completion of the sowing a rain may come to compact the soil round the seeds and so obiate the need foy a roller. It will be obvious, however, that these conditions do not always prevail and are in some measure a gamble. As rolling can do no harm, it is better to eliminate any risk, and so roll to make the firm bed for the seeds. If we have a few days with drying winds after sowing, .the seeds will lie dormant in the soil unless the seed bed i s sufficiently firm to j hying up the moisture from beneath i 1-• set the seeds germinating. Tak- 1 ing all things into account I strong-) ly advocate rolling. i

UAItDEX. I Many shrubs are now in full bloom and are being treated badly, the housewife eager to adorn her house. When picking branches of flowering shrubs, the shape an'd development of the tree should be taken into ac--1 count and those (branches taken that fit in least with the development scheme. Again, always cut off the branches and don’t attempt to break them, as frequently thj s method will result in the stripping of the hark for hi considerable jd'is- > tance down below where the break was intended. This treatment will weaken' the branch and will often make a splendid home for both insect and fungoid diseases. Iceland poppies are now doing well .and will make fine growth if given a little liquid manure occasionally—this will give a much better leaf development, and in turn give flowers. Keep the polyanthus well picked, and the blooms will still he worth while. * ■ Mm vegetable garden keep the J e.:4en, e.g., cabbages, lettuces, cauliflowers and rhubarb moving with nitrate of soda. Regular sowings of peas should ho made. The carrots and parsnips wjill jsoc)n he, large enough to thin out—take care to do this after rain, as there will then he as little disturbance to the remaining plants as possible. It i s yet too early to sow the beans other than broad beans, but it is (time that the hods were prepared /for the climbing beans. This bed requires liming or at least the use of lime manures, such as basic slag. Onions make little growth at this time of (he year, and a little Tlreasj;ing of nitrate of soda will often sd thorn going—(his practice should n< ’ he repeated too often, otherwise tb plants will become too thick in tn rock and will not grow the bulb: that are so desirable.