Farm and Garden.

Taranaki Herald, Volume XVI, Issue 820, 11 April 1868, Page 4

Farm and Garden.

CALENDAR FOR APRIL. [WRITTEN EXPRESSLY FOR THE TARANAKI HERALD.] This month is not unfrequently marked by bright aud warm days, followed by nights of heavy dew or rain. In the garden the earth should be often stirred by the rake, or what is a still better instrument, the Dutch hoe. The last sowings of all kinds of cabbage:may now be made. Back from the sea il will be found that seeds planted during this month will produce results very early in the spring. The same may be said of carrots. Within themodifying influence of the sea air, the spring answers well for planting early crops, but at the higher altitudes where a large quantity of rain falls at that period of the year, the importance of stocking both garden and farm with such plants as are required early in the season, during the autumn months, cannot be too highly estimated. Radish, mustard and cress, spinach, and white beet may be sown ; also peas, early kinds, — beans, parsnips, carrots, white stone and early Dutch turnips. Onions on thoroughly manured land for planting out in spring. Divide the roots and plant out eschalots. Tie up lettuces for blanching. Earth up celery, taking care to keep the earth from the centre ; horse radish may also be planted. Early seed potatoes should be taken up and stored. It has been observed in practice that eyes taken from tubers that have not .been fully ripened are more injurious than those that have been taken from such as have been very fully ripened. All potatoes should be removed from the ground by the end of the present month, or at least early in the next. Let the strawberry beds be completed as soon as possible. All vacant ground dig and manure. For the sugar beet the land should be well' prepared in the autumn, by digging deep and manuring with well rotted manure. Should the land contain fragments of partly decayed timber, a slight dressing of lime,' or what will be found nearly as' efficacious, recently burned ashes, should be applied. The object is to neutralize the acid of the rotting wood ; if this is not attended to, a great decrease iv the production of sugar will result. Weeds and all waste vegetable matter should be piled in a heap and covered with earth to induce decomposition. It must not be forgotton that the greater portion of uncleared land has been redeemed from the forest, so that nearly all the vegetable matter has been destroyed during the burning of the timber. Consequently it must be an object of both the farmer and the gardener, to keep their lands in heart by disallowing the wasteful system of burning weeds. Budded trees may have their fastenings loosened. Trees of all kinds so soon as the leaves have fallen may be removed. This is also a month of activity in the flower garden, plant out bulbus roots, take up and dry dahlia tubers as they cease blooming, also peonies, flag iris and similar plants take up, polyanthus roots &c, cuttings of roses, pinks, &c, with cuttingsof most hardy shrubs may be planted —set box for edgeing. Rosesshouldnowjbe trimmed, care being taken remove all superfluous suckers.