SPRING

Sun (Auckland), Volume III, Issue 762, 7 September 1929, Page 30

SPRING

IN THE KITCHEN CARDEN There should be no shortage of j ground available for use during September. Advantage should be taken of soil that has been prepared for root crops by making good sowings oi carrot, beet and parsnips. These seeds will germinate readily now, and will keep growing without getting a check during the spring and early summer. Early and tender crops are thus assured. Peas are another vegetable that should now be sown largely. There is no better time of the year than the present for sowing peas. The ground is gradually draining and becoming warmer, and during the next few months peas grow with great rapidity. The seed should be sown in drills and covered with about an inch of soil. Space the seeds from three to six inches apart, and allow from two to four feet between the rows—the minimum distance for

dwarf varieties and the maximum for the tallest growing sorts. Peas are assisted in their growth by deep rooting, so it is advisable to sow them in a shallow V-shaped trench, a foot wide. Then, as the plants grow, the soil may be drawn up to them.

As the young plants break through, they are frequently attacked by birds, which, if not checked, will soon destroy the whole bed. A good method of protecting the young plants against their ravages is to make protectors with pieces of wood and cotton. Pro-

cure some triangular pieces of wood, about seven inches wide; nail these to a stout stake, about a foot in length. On the two topmost edges of the triangle place some tacks about an inch apart, and drive them about three-parts home. Drive one of these boards into the ground at the end of each row, and run black cotton backward and forward along the row, taking a couple of turns round each tack. If the rows are very long, a third board will be necessary for the middle. Seedlings of cabbage, lettuce and onions should be planted out. Make small sowings of radish, lettuce, cabbage, onion, silver beet, spinach and turnips. Where they can be sheltered and protected from frosts, young tomato plants may be planted out for early fruiting. One method of managing

these early plants is to place the young plant a few inches below the surface. and then place a box eight or nine inches deep, with top and bottom removed, over the plant at ground level. This can then be covered loosely with a piece of glass whenever necessary.