THE GARDEN.

New Zealand Journal of Agriculture, Volume XVIII, Issue 4, 21 April 1919, Page 235

THE GARDEN.

By

W. H. TAYLOR,

Horticulturist

VEGETABLE-CULTURE ON THE FARM.

The present is a good time to break up new ground, the soil being moist and easily worked. It is a common plan among small farmers to cultivate their vegetables in the field with the farm ' crops. This limits the cultivation of vegetables to the suitability of the soil to produce them. In many places vegetable-culture is only undertaken in the summer-time, the soil being too wet for earlier use. This is undesirable, as such places are bare of vegetables at the most important timeearly, spring, when the human system craves for fresh green food. It would be far better to fence off a quarter of an acre near the homestead, trench it two spits deep, or more if possible, and drain it if necessary. A hedge of an ornamental' description planted inside the. fence would keep out cold winds, and besides making the garden attractive would assist the growth of early vegetables.

On every farm there is manure from the horses and cattle which could be used in the garden, and this would keep the' soil in good condition, practically for ever. Such manure is usually used for fieldcrops, where it is not really wanted, for fields are not continuously cropped, but after two or three years are laid down in grass, and when again broken up the turf supplies the humus that is required, while artificial manures suitable for the crops to be grown supply what else is wanted.

A garden of the size mentioned would give room for growing' sufficient vegetables for a fair-sized family, as well'as small fruits such as gooseberries, currants, raspberries, and strawberries, and a row of loganberries, for which latter a trellis might be erected along a path.

Trenching two spits deep is termed double-digging, or bastard trenching. The way to work is as follows : Mark out a strip 30 in. wide ; then dig out the top spit, throwing it in a heap clear of the ground to be worked ; the loose crumbs should also be shovelled out. Next dig up the bottom of the trench so formed, as deeply as possible, the soil not being removed but simply broken up. Work in a liberal amount of farmyard manure. Then mark out another strip the same width as the first, and dig the top spit • and the loose crumbs into the first trench ; next break up the bottom as before, and proceed in the same manner until the strip is finished. The soil thrown from the first trench is used to fill the last one. By this method the top soil, is left

on top, which' always should be , done when new land is broken up. Gardens that have been long in use may fail to grow satisfactory crops even though well manured. Trenching so as to bring the bottom soil to the top will restore it to a fertile state. In this case the first trench should be emptied completely, digging out'the bottom spit as well as the top one, and throwing each layer into ,a separate heap. Then the top spit of the second trench goes into the bottom of the first, and the bottom-spit on top of that, thus reversing the position of the different layers. '

In working a garden of this kind some crops that are raised on the farm need not be grown. If potatoes are grown on the farm it probably will be the main crop only, and a few early potatoes should be grown in the garden. Main-crop carrots are usually grown on the farm, and the garden need supply only a small early crop. Similarly with other crops, the garden should work with the farm, so that space and labour may not be wasted by producing supplies that are raised in a cheaper way.

Farm-gardens (using the term as distinct from station-gardens) are too often not a success. Commonly they get overrun with weeds, sorrel being a frequent pest. The principal reason is that the soil is usually dug only one spit deep, or perhaps only ploughed in the first instance. In the majority of places soil prepared in this manner is very wet in winter —often unworkable —and is sure to be neglected and overgrown with weeds. Deep trenching lowers the water-table, and if drainage is fairly good the soil is fit for working at any time, this making weedcontrol comparatively easy. When there is much sorrel it is a sign of a too-acid state of soil, and lime should be applied, it being necessary in vegetable-culture in' any case. In an established garden, plots that are vacant should be. turned over, leaving the surface rough, so that air may have free play. It is a great mistake to allow weeds to grow until the ground is wanted. Weeds harbour slugs and other pests, and cause losses and work afterwards. . . ,

CURRENT VEGETABLE NOTES

Onions will now be ripe and harvested. Before they are finally stored all loose skins should be removed, and if the bulbs are to be strung up in ropes a length of top sufficient for tying should be left. If they are to be stored in bulk the tops should be cut off close, as in the bulk condition they are liable to breed mould and prejudicially affect the bulbs. Onions in bulk require to be kept in a perfectly dry place, but as for those in ropes a free circulation of air is of greater importance than a dry atmosphere. They must, of course, be hung where they will be free from dripping water;

Carrots, parsnips, and Jerusalem artichokes, though they have finished their growth, should be left in the ground, where they keep in better condition than in clamps or any other way.

The winter variety of rhubarb should now be available for use. It is best to pull the stalks freely, but the stools should not be stripped bare, always leaving a few of the younger stalks. The summer varieties require lifting after being in use two or three years. This may be

done any time after the tops are dead, and the roots can be stacked in any convenient place until they are planted again in spring.

Rhubarb of. the summer varieties can be forced in the same way as sea-kale ; but it is now necessary - only in the coldest places, where the winter variety will not succeed. Forced rhubarb makes a dainty dish, the stalks being very delicate and a bright lively pink in colour. Forced clumps are practically useless for pulling from the next season, as it takes most of the'' summer for them to recover from the shock of forcing. Plants should therefore not be forced if a summer supply is wanted from them.

Cabbage and cauliflower plants’from the autumn sowing should not be allowed to become crowded. If best results are desired the young plants should, as soon as they are large enough to handle, be pricked out in beds of good soil and placed about 4 in. apart. In that position they will make strong and thrifty plants, and will amply repay the small amount of labour expended on them.

Sea-kale, being dormant, may be forced at any time by placing boxes over the clumps and covering them with a foot thick of fermenting stable manure. Before covering the stools rake away any rubbish there may be, and remove weeds, give a dusting of soot and lime to keep wireworms and slugs from injuring the sprouting heads. Sea-kale can also be forced in heated greenhouses. In this case crowns are raised for the purpose and lifted and placed in large pots or in boxes, which can be placed under the plant-benches. They must, of course, be covered so as to ensure perfect darkness.

SMALL FRUITS

Loganberries may now be pruned. If the plants were set out last season they are not likely to have made rods strong enough to bear a crop of fruit. The proper course is to cut them down close to the ground ; - they will then make strong canes, which are to be retained for fruiting the following year. On established hills the canes which have borne fruit should be cut out, and new canes laid in. If there is not a sufficient number of young canes those that have borne fruit may be retained for .another year, in which case all the side shoots should be cut back to one or two buds. Loganberries.may be trained on .the wall of an outbuilding or on a fence. The systematic plan is to erect a post-and-wire trellis. The rows should run north and south. Set the plants 8 ft. apart and the posts one to every four plants. The posts should be 7 ft. long2 ft. to go in the ground. Stretch three wires of No. 12 gauge, one on the top of. the posts and the others one-third and two-thirds of the height from the ground. The new canes are trained to the wires.

Raspberry plantations should be put in order. The old fruiting-canes should be cut close down to the stool, so as not to leave any of the old wood. All spare suckers should be forked out. It is useless to cut them off ; they spring up again in greater number and are a constant source of trouble. Six new canes are enough to leave at each stool ; these should be shortened to ripe wood.

Gooseberries and currants will not yet be ready for pruning. The ground should be cleared of . weeds in readiness for pruning, but it is not advisable to dig the soil. A firm surface,ffree of weeds, is a great

help when raking up primings. These should be . collected and burned ; if dug into the ground they generate fungus, and may prove very harmful to the bushes. . '

It is not too late to sow Cape-gooseberry seed ; [in the warmer districts it is, in fact, quite early enough. It is strongly advised that the plants be raised at this time and kept over winter, in preference to sowing in spring. The autumn-raised plants give most fruit the first season. (Further information regarding the Cape gooseberry is given in a separate note elsewhere in this issue.)

THE FLOWER-GARDEN.

Roses : The present is an excellent time for transplanting ; bushes transplanted at this time still retain most of their foliage ; this promotes immediate root-action, and the bushes become re-established at once. If a bush has a very heavy top it.may be lightened to some extent —- just sufficient to enable it to stand when transplanted; straggling shoots may be shortened, but further than that no pruning should be done. It is inevitable that the roots be more or less damaged in lifting, and they should be cut back so as to remove the damaged parts. When planting the soil should be trodden very firmly about the roots, but the surface soil must be left loose. No manure of any kind should be allowed to come in contact with the roots, nor is mulching any benefit at this time. Cuttings of the right kind' root well if put 'in now. Cuttings of hybrid perpetuals should be made of clean straight growths without side branches. The cuttings should be 8 in. or in. long, the base cut square across close under a joint. Cuttings of tea roses and most kinds other than hybrid perpetuals should be side growths with two or three branches; they. should be torn off with a heel of the old wood. The only preparation the cuttings require is a slight shortening of the tips, which will be immature. The cuttings should be planted in a nursery plot where the soil is of a non-binding character, with only two or three of the top buds on each piece above the ground. The soil should be trodden very firm about the base of the cuttings, leaving the surface loose. None of the buds that are buried should be cut off. When the rooted plants are taken up it will usually be found that the strongest shoots are from buds that were' beneath the surface. The young plants will not require to be planted so deeply again,. and it is usually best to reduce their height, cutting down to the strongest shoots.

Chrysanthemums : When the flowers are past the stems should be cut down to near the ground. If the soil has become weedy or trodden down the surface should be lightly forked over so as to admit air. This will greatly assist the stools to throw up new suckers. If a stool is slow to break into fresh growth it is a good plan to thrust a fork under it and prise it loose. Look out for slugs ; they are sure to be in evidence now damp weather prevails, and may eat the young suckers before they are visible. Dust lime about the stools occasionally, choosing after dark as the time to apply it.

Dahlias may now be cut down. Unless there are reasons against it, it is safest to leave the tubers in the ground till spring. They keep quite well there, whereas when they are lifted they are often destroyed by woodlice or slugs eating the epidermis around the collar, where the

new growth comes from. The tubers should be lifted in spring just as growth is about to start. They can then be divided as . required, bedded in a temporary position till the buds start, and then planted out in the borders.

i Bulbs : All spring-flowering bulbs should be planted at once. The natural time for starting into growth has. passed, but bulbs that have been lifted and stored in a dry place remain dormant much later than those left in the ground. This renders it possible to extend the planting season. When, however, the period of storage extends'too near to the time when the bulbs should be coming through the soil, those in storage are not improving. Daffodils begin to flower in June, in some places even earlier. All.' bulbs that are in the soil are active long before , the tops ■ are visible. A slow start is essential to good flowers ; therefore plant at'once.

HEDGE-TRIMMING

The question is frequently asked, When is the proper, time to trim hedges ? There is no reason why a hedge should not be trimmed at any time it' requires it. In the case of elaeagnus a number of light trimmings , is - better than one . or two heavy trimmings. From the point of view of economy in labour combined with benefit to the hedge itself, and .referring to the generality of hedges, two trimmings each year is better than one, and cheaper. In my experience there are two periods when growth is most —namely, from early spring to near midsummer, and again when cooler weather and moister conditions begin in early autumn, continuing in winter to a varying extent ruled by the climate. The main trimming should take place in late winter or very early in spring. . Severe cutting can, if necessary, be done at that time, as spring is the time when the plants can best recover from radical treatment. It is also desirable to start the hedge with all'new growth in spring. Even if it is not intended to cut a hedge back to narrower limits, all the recent growths should be cut hard back to the proper line. All inequalities in outline should be rectified, and the hedge left with a perfectly level top and sides quite true, which will make ■ future trimming easier. All fallen leaves and rubbish should be raked out from under the hedge and burned, thus destroying any insect pests that may have. harboured there — of which ' there are usually a good many. The second trimming should be done in the week preceding Christmas. Most people like to have their garden trim at this time, and very little growth will be made after that until autumn. Another reason, and the principal one, for trimming at that time is that it relieves the plants of the burden of young shoots, which they are not well able to support through the dry summer weather, and the hedge is benefited by their removal. The plants in hedges are always close together, and this, together with other circumstances, nearly always makes the soil very dry about them.' ' The relief to the plants effected by the removal of the crop of young shoots must thus be obvious. ■ ’

The wool . from the Ryeland flock at Moumahaki Experimental Farm this season obtained a valuation of i6d. per pound.