THE FARM GARDEN.

New Zealand Journal of Agriculture, Volume VI, Issue 2, 15 February 1913, Page 199

THE FARM GARDEN.

W. H. Taylor.

Vegetable-culture.

Peas. — It is important for the grower for home use to make a wise selection of- varieties. In this, respect the properties desired are different to those sought by the grower for market. The latter grows - large breadths, and ease of gathering is a very important item. For this reason he uses varieties that ripen almost simultaneouslythat is to say, the entire crop is fit for pulling in one or two operations. The gatherer is thus -saved the time that would be involved in selecting pods if the crop matured by degrees. The necessity for quick gathering is proved by the- number of half-filled pods frequently found in market lots, the result partly of the necessity for quick work, and partly of inexperienced gatherers not being able to detect the filled pods quickly enough. In the home garden, however, quickness in gathering is of less importance, and, an almost daily supply being required, it is necessary to select for growing varieties that mature by degrees. But there are also considerations of quality, and what one may term sentimentality. Something very handsome. either in. the garden or on the table may give satisfaction to the grower or user, though falling short of others in quantity produced. Others, again, may only consider utility, with a fair standard of . quality. The following observations may be of value for future guidance. There are three varieties that may be termed second earlies” now on the marketviz., ■ English Wonder, Daybreak, and Carter’s Springtide. There ,is very little difference between these, the balance being in favour of Springtide, the joints being closer together and the peas slightly larger. They come at the same time if sown together, and last as long, the weight produced being rather in favour of Springtide. This pea, sown on the 2nd August, came into use on the 30th. November, and gave a good supply till the 4th January, or about five weeks. Sherwood, sown on the 2nd August, was first gathered on the 14th December, and lasted till the 4th January, or three weeks. • Sutton’s Dwarf Defiance, sown on the 23rd August' was first gathered on the 23rd December, and lasted on till the 4th, or less than two weeks. This is a very fine table variety. These notes surely prove that for utility Springtide is most valuable. The flavour is. very good, . though not of the highest grade. It .is well known that early crops of peas are the best, but the later behaviour of a variety may be

different. To test this point I have the same variety sown later now coming on, and hope to report on the experiment later. At present it appears that for utility purposes this and similar varieties are of the greatest value. First-early varieties, by which is meant varieties that take the shortest time to come into use, have not been tried in proper sequence this season. The reason for this it is not necessary to relate, and I will not go back to other years: A comparison, however, is afforded by the pea Richard Seddon, sown on the 14th August and gathered on the 14th December, lasting till the 30th December. Note that this took as long as Springtide to mature, and lasted half the time, or less. A promising first-early- —Impudence being grown for seed. Four -seeds were sent me last year, and seed from these is now maturing. A further crop, sown on the 10th October, was ready for use on the 23rd December. Further observations' will be reported on in future issues. ' ■- - ■ ■ • When these notes appear all provision for winter should be made or arranged for except in a few cases. Turnip-seed may still be sown, in small quantity. It is too early yet to sow for winter use. . Leeks may be planted up to the middle of March, but it should be understood that only those planted before this time will attain a large size. Good size is very essential in leeks. Few plants make so many roots or take so much out s of the soil as these do. The method of planting has been described before, but will bear repeating, as there are still many who adhere to the old wasteful way of planting in trenches. The plot should be first marked out in lines 15 in. apart. Then hoe a deep drill along each mark, as though intended for beans or peas. Now take a -dibber and make a hole its full depth. Put in a plant as far as it will reach; now lift it a few inches to bring the roots, which will be doubled up by insertion in the hole, into a proper position; thrust the dibber into the soil about 3 in. from the hole, and lever the handle over toward the plant. ' This will fill the hole full of soil and at the same time make it firm about the plant. The plants require to be large, so that at least 8 in. will be below the surface. Needless to say, the soil should be deep and well worked, otherwise the leeks could not be planted, nor would it be fit to grow them.

Endive may be sown now for winter use in the same way as lettuce.

Silver-beet should be sown at once. Sow in drills 15 in. apart, and thin to 12 in. in the rows. The . best varieties I have grown are Lucullus and Sutton’s seakale beet. The soil should 'be deep and rich. .

Sow spinach before the end of this month, remembering that growth will be made during winter. Choose a well-drained plot, and, if it can be managed, let it. be a plot that was well manured for a previous crop rather than dig in strong manure now, as this would tend to make the soil cold in winter by holding water. The soil will' be fairly rich —if it has been well manured recently, so as to ensure sufficient humus—and a dressing of . bonemeal will be sufficient now. The plants should be thinned to 9 in. or 10 in. apart at an early stage.

Tomato-plants require constant attention in respect to keeping ’ away waste growth and tying to their supports. In the matter of tying there is a right and a wrong way to do it. The wrong way leads frequently to. chafing against stakes, or cutting through the stem ; the right way prevents both evils. The raphia may be passed first round the stake or wire, or round the stem of the plant: sometimes one way comes handiest, sometimes the other. Supposing it goes first round the stake, you put the strand round the back of the stakethat is, the side farthest from yourself and the plant or stem to be tied, the two ends being towards you; cross these, transferring the end in your left hand to your right, and vice versa ; now bring the two ends round the stem . and tie at the back—that is to say, the outer side. ’ It will be found that the tying-material now forms a figure 8 ; the strands cross between stake and plant, which are thus kept apart. Moreover, there is some room for play under the influence of winda great safeguard. The plants are then much more secure from damage than if tied tight and immovable. This is the proper tie for all kinds of plants,, and is particularly useful for securing such brittle subjects as chrysanthemums. < ' ■

Winter Rhubarb.— the last issue the sowing of seed of winter rhubarb was advised. If seed was put in it should now be up and making plants. Thin out so that no two plants stand together, and leave ' a space of 12 in. between the plants. This space will not allow for full development, but is sufficient at first. The first lot of stalks should be available for use in about twelve weeks from sowing. That is my experience. After a few weeks the plants will want more room. Each other one may be then either lifted and planted elsewhere or cut out and destroyed. In the meantime they will have given some stalks for use. This class of rhubarb may be regarded as of very special value in a country garden, as it supplies fruit for pies or stewing all the year round. The term “ winter ”is somewhat of a misnomer; it would be more properly described if called “ ear-round ” or “ Evergreen.” It is quite distinct from the ordinary type, which is dormant in winter. No systematic experiments have to my knowledge yet been made in its cultivation, but it is easily seen that the proper

system will beseed-saving from selected plants, to work up a good strain, and renewal every few years by seedlings rather than by dividing plants. There is a wide field for selection, as plants differ greatly in size of stalk and colour. It is very little use attempting to grow rhubarb of any sort in any but rich ground. It seems impossible to feed it too much. A . soil very rich in humus is an absolute necessity to complete success. Stable or farmyard manure is the -best of all, because it supplies humus as well as other requirements. Humus provides a good working medium for the roots, and retains moisture in summer. Here, being unable to obtain that' form of manure, leaves cut off are returned to the soil as far as possible, and sheep-droppings are collected, soaked in a tub of water, and then poured on between the. plants— tiresome process where water has to be carried some distance, but it must be done or failure will result. Bonemeal is given in winter. . - Waste vegetable matter of various kinds, always inseparable from vegetable gardening, such as cabbage-leaves, tops cut from turnips when bunched up — fact, all such —has a value in the economy of the garden if properly used. It is ' a good plan to have a plot of ground from which a crop has been cleared dug by degrees and all such stuff dug into it. It returns a certain amount of humus, lacking which soil becomes unworkable and infertile. This waste material if left on the surface withers away in a useless manner. Perishable weeds should be also dug in. Weeds with perennial roots like couch and sorrel, and other garden refuse, such as soft hedge-clippings, should be put in a heap and occasionally sprinkled with lime to destroy fungus spores. This makes in time good vegetable mould valuable for digging in.

■ ' Small Fruit. There are many inquirers' about the cultivation of Gape gooseberries. This is a fruit that undoubtedly deserves more extensive cultivation. It is an excellent pie fruit, second to none as a preserve, and bottles well. ' The plant is a biennial—that is to say, it lives two years; but, unlike most biennial plants, it flowers and fruits twice if the plants are raised at the proper time. The time to sow the seed is from mid-March to early April. The plant is injured by frost, therefore it requires shelter of some kind.. If the seed is sown in a box the seedlings should be pricked off into other boxes, and kept in these till danger of spring frosts is passed. It is important to secure strong plants for putting out, so that considerable-sized bushes are obtained by early autumn after planting otherwise they are late coming into fruit, and bear but few fruit the first season. For that reason plants raised in spring are of little value.' The manner of planting may differ according to circumstances. Some plant against a fence and tie the plants roughly

to it. They are as well, or better, served by planting in an open space. . Put three plants in a triangle, each plant 6 in. or 8 in. apart, and the clumps 5 ft. apart. The purpose of planting three plants in a clump is., that by interlacing with each other they will afford mutual support against wind. Fruiting commences about March, and continues throughout the winter unless stopped by frost. If frosts are experienced the tops will be killed. Leave these alone. 'By no means cut them off, or the entire plant may be killed. Early in summer, or late in spring perhaps, new shoots will spring from the bottom. Now cut away the dead tops. The following autumn should see the best crop of fruit, for it begins to ripen earlier, and so has a longer season. After that the plants-die. Strawberries. — There are a number of ways of growing these plants. The market grower looks for the largest, quantity of fairly good fruit with a minimum of labour, and frequently adopts ’ what is known as the matted-row system, or some variation of it. ■. For home use fine fruit is-the first consideration, the.amount of labour required for a small patch not being considerable. Single rows with plants well' apart is the plan that is the best for the purpose. At the present time much treading may have made the ground hard. If so, break it up, not by breaking it up deeply, but by surface cultivation. At the same time remove surplus runners —that is, all that are not required for planting. It appears that the almost universal custom with market growers is not to allow the plants to bear the .first season after planting. This plan would scarcely satisfy the owner of a private garden, nor is it necessary or the best plan. Probably the grower of acres is unable to give proper attention to securing good runners in sufficient quantity. So he has. to devote the first year to growing his plants. My own aim when growing strawberries was to get my best fruit the .first season, and plenty of it; and I was not disappointed. The way to proceed is to cause the earliest runners to root, and not allow them to extend further. This has been advised in former numbers of the Journal. As soon after this issue as the ground gets moist with rain, and the waning days secure cooler conditions, these runners should be lifted and planted in a nurse bed of good soil. ' Plant in rows, leaving room for a hoe between, and 6 in. apart in the rows. Ground for a new bed should be got ready early in autumn. Work in a good lot of rich stable manure. ' Dig the ground well, but do not break the surface soil up too fine. The surface now thrown up should be the surface for planting on. The soil should not again be deeply dug, though it may be advisable to point it over. The object in view is to get the soil well aerated, and . allow weed-seeds to grow so that they may be destroyed. This supplies the reason for not changing the surface, as new soil turned up would bring weed-seeds with it. My own practice

favours spring planting. Autumn planting, in my opinion, should never be adopted except in the case of light soil. I always found it’ best to keep the surface moving until spring. Then there was no danger of the soil souring about the plants. The plants were put out in. August in rows 2 ft. apart, and 15 in. from plant to plant. The plants were lifted with a fork, each with a good ball of earth. Raspberries. — Those who can manage -to give a good dressing of stable manure at this time will be wise in doing so. Perfecting the canes is of more importance than anything,'" and a dressing of fertilizer can be given in winter. Keep the alleys free of weeds and suckers. . Gooseberries . —These also will benefit by a dressing of manure. Where spraying for leaf-spot has been neglected it would be wise to do it even now, though harm may have already resulted from the neglect. Our own bushes were sprayed as soon as the fruit was off. The result, is perfectly sound foliage throughout, though some of the bushes were slightly affected before spraying. - Flower-culture. Carnations that were layered as advised will shortly require attention. Rooting is usually accomplished in five or six weeks, sometimes less. They should be . well rooted before being taken off. A little careful examination will show if they are rooted. If they are, they may be at once removed from the plant. Some thinkl did myself —that it is best to cut through the connecting-link with the plant, and then . leave the layers for a few days before taking them up ; but I do not think there is any necessity for it, or advantage. There is no difference of opinion among carnation-fanciers about the best time for planting. All agree that it is well to keep the plants in a nurse bed till spring. August is the time to put them out into their permanent quarters. The reason is the same as given for planting strawberries in ■ spring : it affords opportunities for. working the soil up to the last moment, thus securing a well-sweetened soil free from weeds.

. Planting 1 bulbs should receive attention; All those that flower in spring may be planted now. Narcissi should be planted as soon as possible. The following are spring-flowering species: Gladioli of the Colvilleii family. The following are the best: Albus (the Bride) — original Bride is white with carmine marks in the centre ; this is the best of all the family, and is still extant, but is known by doubtful names, most commonly Pink Bride, Cupid, Insignis, Favourite, Ramosus. Ixias: these are all good. The variety longiflora deserves special mention because it. is different to any' of the others, and I think it is a pity it is not accredited with its old name — Morphixia paniculata. This is a flower certain to please, being very suitable for table-decoration. Babiana, Tritonia, Lachenalia, Scilla —wood-hyacinth : the white and flesh-coloured

varieties are best. Brodiaea coccinea is a very attractive little flower not often grown as it should be. Chionadoxa has beautiful blue flowers. Chlidanthus fragrans has very handsome yellow flowers of good size. A variety is catalogued as Fragrans major. This is wrong and very misleading. It is a totally distinct plant of' different habit. It is Hemrocallis major, and, though a good thing, is inclined to be rather aggressive owing to its strong stooling habit. It is well worth having where there is plenty of room. Once planted it will look after itself. The crocus, hyacinth, and tulip are so well known as to require nothing beyond a reminder to plant now, though a hint about pot culture may be acceptable. The difficulty frequently experienced is to get the flower-head to throw up boldly. The reason is that top growth is always inclined to get ahead of root-development, resulting in stunted heads. When the bulbs are planted in the open ground this difficulty is not met, but in pots the crown of the bulb is of necessity too near the light. The proper thing to do after potting is to lay the . pots on their side with, the • bottom ends against a wall. Then cover them up with a heap of coal-ashes or sand. Coal-ashes are best. Leave them for about' six weeks. Then examine and bring out to light- any that are pushing out growth. Lachenalia tricolor and Nelsoni are bright, easily cultivated plants. Milla or Tritelia uniflora are showy ..little bulbs. Some object to them because of an oniony smell. Ranunculus are very beautiful, though not so uniformly successful as most bulbs. They will not' do in a soil that alters its character under the changing influence of wet and dry. It must be permanently friable and nonbinding. Then they will succeed. Sparaxis varieties' are all worth while. • Preparations should be made for -raising biennials. They may be sown at any time from now up to the beginning of April. Most of this class of plant-will fail to flower next season unless the plants are raised in autumn. Others will flower, but at a much later period. Antirrhinums are of ’ this nature. Sow them in autumn for early summer flowers, and in spring for autumn flowers. Gypsophila paniculata, a much-sought-for plant, will flower next season if sown in autumn. This plant should be grown on in small pots. It is very hard to establish if the roots are broken. Canterbury bells; East Lothian, Brompton, and Intermediate stocks; dianthus,. columbines, gaillardias, Coreopsis grandiflora, and various other perennials, as well as biennials, should be also sown, such as sweet-williams, and carnations of all races.

The call for better farming means, first of all, right reasoning and a study of economic production ; it means more and better farm equipment; fewer acres to the man, scientifically cultivated ; greater variety of crops, heavier yields per acre, and more and better live-stock.