VEGETABLE CROPS

Wanganui Chronicle, Volume 76, Issue 83, 8 April 1933, Page 17 (Supplement)

VEGETABLE CROPS

BLEACHING OF CELERY. l’i‘- time has now arrived when most ■ of the early -planted celery, grown in trenches and well supplied with mois--ture, should be sufficiently * advanced for earthing up. Little is gained by earthing until the plants are well advanced and well furnished with good healthy foliage. A large body of soil packed around the roots when the plants are little more than half grown must in a measure check ins, ad of assist growth, as it naturally excludes a certain amount of air and warmth from the roots. Bleaching, however, is absolutely essential in order to produce the bestI for salad purposes. In . addition to earthing, there are other i methods of bleaching sometimes adopted, such as placing strips of brown paper around each plant, or by . placing straw bottle wrappers around them. In our mild climate, when slugs arc so numerous and destructive during the autumn and winter months, it is doubtful if there is any more effevtixe method of thoroughly bleaching celery, except the self-bleaching varieties, than by earthing. Even with this method paper may be used to prevent the soil getting into the centre or heart of the plants, raising the paper up as the earthing proveds until the height required for j bleaching is reached. Another and m-’st simple method is to tarefully pack the leaves or stalks together and place a tie around each, raising the . tie upward as the work proceeds, and finally removing it when the earthing |is completed. If raffia grass is used t be removed, as it will de[cay before it has time to cut or injure the stalks. The earthing is best I performed when the soil is fairly dry, care in every case being taken to keep J t he soil from tho centre or heart of the plants. AX ith the self-bleafehing varieties a< tiecd. Fairly W; boards, placed around the sides of il;c b.-ds or rows, afford the necesand protection for bleaehhowever, ■ ■■ crispness ing varieties ’ proper earth bleaching. plants ackward or . appear to be lagging for the want of ' “ ’ nent may be given a little cm into '■ Nitrate of bi ■</. to the gallon of water) may f- ■ for this purpose, but a couple sufficient. It is a strong stimulant and free use of ... b n]id stalkGrowing of Leeks. ■ “ ■'• require a certain amount earthing up to obtain the best re- - suits. If the plants have been planted - in fairly deep drills, as directed in former notes, and the plants dibbled in an inch or two below the bottom of . the drills, there will be little difficulty in bleaching as the plants advance in growth. The stalks will be covered with three or four inches of soil at least, by the time the drills are levelled . up. Nevertheless, growers will have to , resort to more earthing to complete the bleaching, as there will still be - a fair amount of stem above the • ground level. In earthing up care ‘ mu>t *be taken not to injure or dis- • turb the surface roots. Endive for Salads. ‘ Endive is another salad plant that requires bleaching to obtain the best s plant. Although but little grown in ’ northerly garden;: it makes a useful salad in many of the colder districts ' where winter lettuce is difficult to j grow. The endive is a hardy plant . ami. like lettuce, succeeds well in fairly richly-manured soil. Once the r-ants have attained to a useable size . tho next important operation is bleach- . mg. In bleaching the ’chief aim is the . exclusion of the light, which gives the chlorophyll in the leaves its means of ; existence. Without the sunlight the i chlorophyll disappears and the leaves lose their colour. By placing a piece of slate or thin wood over the plants • bleaching is quickly effected. The i mure simple method, however, is to place thin, light boards over the plants, r as bv this means many of the plants - can be bleached with one covering. In making further sowings and plantings it is of the greatest importance e that the soil be well enriched with . manure, so as to induce as rapid - growth a.- possible, after the seeds are ? laised. By having the ground deeply worked, excess of moisture is more r easily d‘ >sed of. It is essential, too, that the soil between growing crops 'i be kept frequently stirred and free i ifrorn weeds. This should In every case 11 be done when the soil is fairly dry ‘and workable.

A Group H.Q. “in the Depths.” During the heavy floods of June, .1030, the room used as a headquarters ! y the Oth Blackpool (Whitegate Drive Baptists) Scout group, was badly flooded. It had been originally constructed under the body of the church as a room for the brotherhood meetings. When they were clearing up, and taking steps to prevent further flooding, the Scouts discovered that the formation of the foundations of the church allowed for expansion in three directions. So they set to w-»rk in June last, year. They now have, in place of an entrance passage and one room, a hail and troop room, a parrol den. store room. Rover Scouts’ den, Scouters’ den and Wolf Cub lair. The only rooms above ground are a workshop and a store hut for their trek cart. One of their number with a liking for statistics has estimated that:— Members of the group have worked 7275 hours; They have laid 3940 bricks; They have used—--6.324 running feet of timber: 1236 square feet of damp-proof flooring felt; 47 bags of cement; 94 bags of granite chipping} 3 tons of sand; 44 tons of brickbats; II tons of ashes; They have excavated and carted away 3526 cubic feet of clay; and laid 315 feet of drains.