THE GARDEN.

New Zealand Journal of Agriculture, Volume XXVII, Issue 5, 20 November 1923, Page 337

THE GARDEN.

VEGETABLE-CULTURE.

Hoeing, weeding, and thinning the main crops are operations of first importance at this period.

If the onion crop is late and there is danger of it being attacked with mildew an application of bordeaux, 2-2-40, should be made.

The seedlings of brussels sprouts, early and late broccoli, savoy, cabbage, kale, celery, and leeks should now be under way. A piece of good land, well manured, should be made ready for planting them out ; frequently they follow on the early crops of potatoes and peas. Plant them out towards the end of December, planting brussels sprouts and early broccoli first. Water the beds well before lifting the plants, and remove suckers from celery - plants before planting them in the trenches.

Sweet maize should be sown now. Egg-plants (aubergines) and Chile peppers (capsicums), sweet and hot, should be planted out without delay. These interesting luxuries of ■ the garden should be more generally grown.

TOMATOES.

Cultivation (but not too deep), pinching out laterals, and tying the plants to their supports are the chief operations for December. Should the plants need a fungicide spray, apply bordeaux, 4-4-40 (41b. bluestone, 4 lb. quicklime, and 40 gallons water). If more convenient-6 lb. of washing-soda may take the place of the quicklime.

THE FLOWER-GARDEN.

Here, too, special care should be taken to prevent weeds seeding. Herbaceous . plants requiring support should be given early attention. Remove all seed-pods as soon as blossoms fall. About the middle of the month most gardenhedges will need trimming. Backward plants can be helped with a little liquid manure. Superphosphate, sulphate of, potash, and nitrate of soda or Sulphate of ammonia are water-soluble ; use them sparingly, and apply only when the soil is moist. ’ - .

W. C. Hyde,

Horticulture Division.

Draught Stallions. — The Board of Agriculture recently decided to recommend to the Minister of Agriculture that the Bill providing for the inspection and registration of draught stallions should again be introduced. The Clydesdale Horse Society is strongly in favour of this Bill, which, states the Board, is considered by almost all breeders to be essential in order to bring about a much -needed improvement in the quality of draught horses.

Export of Honey.— The quantity of honey graded for export at the various grading- during the year ended 31st March last was as follows : Auckland, 5,485 cases; Wanganui, 350 ; Wellington, 759; Lyttelton, 1,177; Timaru, 632; Dunedin, 1,198 ; Bluff, 570 : a total of 10,111 cases for the Dominion. This represents an increase of 1,396 cases as compared with the previous year’s figures. According to Customs statistics, the quantity of honey actually exported during the year was 10,605 cwt., of a total value of 032.