THE GARDEN.

Star (Christchurch), Issue 9919, 6 August 1910, Page 12

THE GARDEN.

WORK FOE THE WEEK

KITCHEN GARDEN

Seeds to Sow.—Broad beans, broccoli, tabbage, capsicum', carrot, cauliflower, cress, lettuce, mustard, parsley, peas, radish, savoy, spinach, tomato and turnip. 'What to flant.—Cabbage, garlic, horse-radish, potatoes, rhubarb and sea-kale. Weather conditions aro now more favourable for garden work, and with lengthoning days the sun will have in ore power, the ground will dry up faster, enabling ail garden operations to bo done without inconvenience. As soon as the surface is fairly dry seedsowing in earnest must receive attention. Broad beans may bo sown. These are not used in some houses, and if not wanted should not be planted. Being gross feeders they should have plenty of manure, and, if possible, heavy soil. If they have to be put in on light land, make if as firm as possible before sowing the seed. Broccoli requires a long season in which to grow to perfection. Sow now, and another pinch of seod about the end of the laoiith. Select one of the fast-grow-ing varieties of cabbage, those that Baature edrly, and are of good flavour, tender, and fit for use in about three months. ' These may be planted quite close to.one another. As soon as the plants touch each other draw every other plant in the row, as these will make nice, dish of tender greens for early use. Capsicum should be sown early, . but the seed will require some Qroteotion, A cold frame or mild hotbed is a very suitable place in which to Taisa them. in carrots select the small liorri varieties for early use. These come on rapidly, and are much nicer for use than the larger varieties. Cauliflowers are never out of season, but to tecur© good - cauliflowers they should never receive a check, never want for watery or be crowded at any period of their growth. It is therefore advisBble' to sow the seeds sparingly, and should the plants come up in too great nuinbors take some away before the lot become drawn for want of space. Although much seed of many vegetables is wasted through, sowing too much at one time, perhaps there V greater waste with cauliflower than iny ; other, and with these* it means a waste of part of. the garden, because tarly cauliflowers do not remain in good jqndition.for any length of time. They, jome in quickly, and soon become unfit for Use; therefore the best method is to' bow few seeds at a time, and make several sowings. Manure heavily the quarter that is to .be planted with early cauliflowers,' as the nfiore manure ■ they'have the better, and they will be oft the ground in time to get in another crop for the autumn. Lettuce should be sown frequently, a little and sft-en will give a more constant supply' than • by , sowing , a lot at one time. Select a warm corner of the' garden for the first bed. Mustard qnd. cress should be sown as required. / The crbss should 00 sown some six or seven days before the mustard, so as to have both ready for .use at one time. Tho soil for these weds should ,be fine and rich, as poor ,poil will not jjroduce good cress; and if the ground is rough there will be a lot of grit on the, plants when fit' for use. "While cross seod should be sown fairly thickly, too much is generally put ip, and this , prevents the growth trom being, strong, plump and tender. , v Pajsley, is ever in demand, and to ' maintain, a supply two sowings should t lbo ; made each year ; one in spring, the other in autumn. Parsley will grow in any .odd corner; it can be used as a border- to garden paths, and in such places it is eaey to got and makes a very pretty border. ' Parsnips need a: long season's growth, and if they are put in early, they make larger and better roots. Parsnips being deep rooting, the soil should be worked quite two feet deep. No frpsh mrijiure is required for this crop, but if it can be sown on the quarter where celery was grown last season, good results will follow. Fresh manure tends to encourage the roots to have forks, that is, large lateral roots, which spoil the sample. Many amateurs fail to raise these plants because thoy cover the «eed with too much soil, causing them to rot. Then the seeds are blamed. A quarter of an inch of soil is all that Should be put over parsnip seed. Never bow them when the soil is wet. Choose * fine, day, and draw the drills early; then leave them open to dry, so that . the seeds are oovered with v dry soil. Peas should be sown tus required. Probably those sown now will come in as ; early and give a much better crop than tho§e sown last autumn, as the weaklier during, July was fatal to peas growing in low, badly-drained land. In sowing, make the drills quite eight inohes wide, and not narrow so that tlie peas are crowded one another. If-.; narrow, drills are prepared,< make tiro parallel with each other eight inches apart. Then put the same quantity of seed. in these two, as is customarily put in one. When the plants get up a few inches they take hold of each other and remain erect, requiring but few sticks, and give much heavier croj>s than they do when grown crowded in one row.' Radishes are in great demand early In the spring. As they are never too early, get some seeds in at once. To be nice, these roots must bo grown ,in rich soil, and should never want water or be crowded. The more sparingly the seeds-are sown tlie quioker they make a bulb. Select an open position, as the more light and air they get the better. Where large . heads of savoys are wanted sow early, but many prefer small, tender, green heads to large white ones. Sown now and treated in the way as cabbage they will make rery large heads. Spinach is one of the best summer vegetables grown. Sow i fiften, and, although more is grown than required, it makes a splendid manure if dug in the soil when green. Tomato seed will need some protection, just .'enough to keep away frost, It itt&y be sown in the open, and covered at. night, and probably plants raised thus are hardier and the fruit just as heavy as those raised in heat. Select » faßt-growing white variety, of which there are quite a number of first-rate early varieties on the market. Do not make large sowings at one time, because early turnips, like early cauliflowers, are soon over. To keep op a constant supply sow a little seed once- a month from now until Christmas. Plant out cabbages as required. Those set out last autumn will soon make rapid growth, and a little nitrate of soda sprinkled over their roots will stimulate them and increase their size. The first and second early varieties of potatoes should be put in. They neea a sheltered position if planted on low land, but on hilly situations no protection is needed. When new plantations of rhubarb are to be made the work should be done as soon as possible. These roots require plenty of manure, a deep soil, which should be trenched quite thirty inches deepRhubarb is often left much too long in one position, causing the sticks to grow smaller and smaller each season, t course, it is not wise to lift all the roots in one season, because no!sticks should be gathered during the first season after transplanted, hence only a part of the bed should be lifted at one time. Sea-kale should be planted for nejet season's supplies. Small young plants aro better than old ones, root? about half an inch in diameter being about tho best sort to plant now. Old. largo roots should be thrown away or set out to provide cuttings for next #eaijon. j