THE GARDEN.

New Zealand Journal of Agriculture, Volume XVIII, Issue 3, 20 March 1919, Page 179

THE GARDEN.

By

W. H. TAYLOR,

Horticulturist.

VEGETABLE-CULTURE.

During the last ha f of March in cold districts, and the first week in April in warm districts, cabbage, cauliflower, onions, and lettuce should be sown for spring supply. In most places it will be sufficient to sow cauliflowers at the time stated to secure a supply from the end of October to the early, part of January, an early and a late kind being sown. Experimental work carried out at the Arataki Horticultural Station, Havelock North, has shown that this sowing will not suffice in that locality, as they head in a shorter time than in colder places. Cauliflowers are represented by two distinct types. One type makes comparatively small heads that come quickly, the best known varieties being Early London, Early Paris, and Early Snowball. The other section comprises the large-headed varieties, of which Veitch's Autumn Giant and Early Erfurt are types, the term “ early ” being rather a misnomer in this case. The Arataki trials resulted as follows : Snowball, so.wn ist April, planted 6th June, came into cut 24th September, last used 31st October ; Early Erfurt, sown ist April, planted 6th June, . first cut 21st October, last cut 23rd November ; Veitch’s Autumn Giant gave practically the same results. Sowings were again made on ist May. The trials with Snowball were a failure, the seeds supplied proving to be a broccoli. Early Erfurt came into cut on 30th November, and Veitch’s Autumn Giant eleven days later. These trials show that the warmer districts are able to produce cauliflowers earlier than is possible-in other parts, and also that a sowing on ist May is necessary if it is desired to carry on a supply into the New Year. This information should be valuable to both marketgardeners and growers for home use, as carrying out the practice will to a large extent do away with the necessity for growing broccoli. The latter occupies the ground for a much longer time, it being necessary to plant the mid-season varieties in January to get heads in September and October whereas the same result can be obtained by planting cauliflowers in June, a very great saving of ground-space in favour of the warmer districts. It may, however, be as well to warn growers that the mere geographical position of a locality is not sufficient warrant for classing it as a warm place. There are many places in the North where the climate approximates so closely.. to South Island conditions as to render it necessary to observe the same routine of cultivation.

Trial sowings of turnips at Arataki show that the warm climate is a disadvantage with this vegetable. The Snowball variety sown on ist March gave the first pulling on 23rd June, three months from sowing. Sown on ist April the first were used on nth August, four months from sowing. Sown on ist May very few were obtained for use, and all bolted to flower the first week in September. It is evident that it is not serviceable to sow after the second week in March, and that better results are obtained in colder districts. However, if there is an actual shortage of turnips it may be well to sow up to the

end of March. Later than that appears to be labour lost, and the ground might be better occupied. . - . —. Spinach succeeds admirably in the warm districts if sown the last week in-March. For sowing at this date. spinach is easily the most valuable of all garden crops, giving a liberal amount of produce for -from five to , six months if desired. Either basic slag, superphosphate, or bonedust, are suitable fertilizers, giving 2 oz. per square yard. The soil should be fairly well supplied with lime applied a few weeks before sowing. Fowl-droppings kept out of the rain, gathered fresh, and. stored till a dry powder are. an excellent manure. Give 1 lb. to 2 lb. per square yard according to the conditions-of the soil. Sow. the spinach in rows at least 12 in. apart, and thin to single - plants, leaving them a minimum. of 8 in. apart. After thinning, if growth lags at all,. give a dressing of nitrate of soda, | oz. per square yard, repeating the dressing four ■ or five weeks . later. In the same warm localities Short Horn carrot sown at the same time gives good returns, but it is necessary to sow at least a month earlier in colder places. - Lettuce should be sown not later than the first week in April in order'to: provide the'spring crop in all but- the warmer places. ■ In the latter a month later will answer. - - - ~

Onions : The giant kinds must be • sown in autumn or they will notdevelop properly. It is bad practice to sow where they are to grow, as under this treatment many of them bolt to flower. They should be transplanted. Keeping-kinds of the smaller varieties are in some places sown with advantage in autumn. ' This is the case in districts where onion-mildew is very troublesome. Autumn-sown onions of the small kinds will be coming toward maturity when mildew appears, and in consequence are not. much injured. Even these are best transplanted, though it- is not always done, and they certainly do better without transplanting than do the large kinds. In private gardens it is wise to sow a line or two of a-large kind, even if it is not intended to grow large specimens, as they come in very useful for -pulling in a green state in spring-time, and for many purposes . answer as well in cooking as ripe, bulbs, thus effecting economy with these. There are great advantages gained by transplanting onions in spring. Growth is very slow during the winter months, and the soil is likely to get sodden and sour ; also weeds are sure to grow, and are likely to demand a lot of labour ; whereas if transplanting is practised-final preparation of the soil is left till spring, when, the -ground being vacant, it is easily and effectually done. The labour of transplanting is trifling compared with that of keeping,- the soil clean- between seed-rows in-winter,'and, above all, the spring preparation leaves the soil sweet, in good tilth, and free of weeds, summer cultivation being -easily done. Another point that should be considered is that bulbs of keeping-varieties that were autumn-sown rarely keep long. They are useful for early marketing, but are rarely fit to hold for a rise ; moreover, the bulbs usually average rather too large for the market. Medium-sized bulbs usually command the best price. - { Asparagus : The tops should be cut down level with the ground when they are nearly dead. This should be done before the berries begin to fall to any extent, as if many of them fall the plants that spring up become a nuisance. Burn the tops, or if trenching is being done they may be placed in the bottom trench./ Whatever is done, take care not to scatter the. seeds about the garden, where they may come up as weeds. If the plants are arranged in the old-fashioned beds, as much of the top-

soil as can be removed should be raked off and a foot deep of -decayed stable manure placed on top. The' soil is to be left off until spring. Some growers —very —strip the soil from the beds so as to expose the crowns, and leave them in that condition until they show signs of starting growth in spring, and then. apply manure and return the soil. This is a very bad plan and should be discontinued. Asparagus-culture will be more fully treated in a future issue of the Journal. Growing crops of the brassica tribe should be moulded up before the plants get large enough to be affected by wind. Brussels sprouts require heavy moulding in exposed , places as they grow tall. ’ J Yellowing leaves Oil the lower part of the stems should be pulled ’off, but by no means cut off, the good leaves, as done by some amateurs, this being quite a mistake. The rosettes form in the axils of the leaves ; they are but small, and soon spread if the leaves are taken off ; they may be removed when the sprouts are cut.. The grey aphis that attacks brussels sprouts at this time of the year can be easily cleared by forcible syringing with nearly boiling water. ' ,

SMALL FRUITS.

Strawberries : Planting will be carried out in many places during the next few weeks. See that the soil is in a clean state before planting. If the soil is light pass a roller over it both before and after planting. Where large areas are planted the young plants carry no soil on the roots. In such cases most of the present roots die, and should be cut to half or one-third their length. The plants can be taken in bundles and the roots laid on a block, severing the roots with a tomahawk. Take care that the plants do not dry up during the necessary handling. Bundles may be kept moist under wet sacks, taking out only a sufficient number at a time to enable the person who lays them in place to keep a little way ahead of the planter. It is bad to plant in very dry soil, ■still worse to plant in wet soil, and it should not be .done while rain is falling. Old beds that it is intended to keep for another year should be gone over, all runners removed, and all the old leaves cut off. • The leaves should be burned, which maybe done after removal from' the bed or if leaf-spot be prevalent let them lie a few days till dry, then, if necessary, scatter a little straw of pine-needles among them and - set fire to them, letting the fire cover the stools. It will not injure the ■crowns unless there is too heavy an accumulation in any part. If pine-needles were used as a mulch it may be worth while to collect the bulk of them and keep them for next season. They usually serve .for two. seasons. . . 2 • ’

Raspberries : Old canes should be removed from plantations. It is better to do so now than to leave them till winter.

. . . Loganberries : Bushes should have the shoots that have fruited removed, with the reservation that if there are not sufficient young rods to provide a crop for next season some of the rods may be kept. In this case the lateral growths that bore the fruit should be . cut back to spurs of one. or two buds, but this should not be done till midwinter.

. case of necessity -calf-meal is quite suitable for mixing with, .the mash' for fowls, and-• takes the place of meat-meal, as it generally contains about 20 per cent, protein. It is best used in the 'mash in the proportion of about 20 per cent, to 25 per cent, of the total quantity.