HORTICULTURE.

New Zealand Journal of Agriculture, Volume XXX, Issue 3, 20 March 1925, Page 205

HORTICULTURE.

VEGETABLE-GROWING.

In. the sheltered beds where spring cabbage and cauliflower plants are being grown at this season aphis, thrips, and caterpillars are doing extensive damage in some localities. This may be checked if the plants are sprayed with a mixture composed of 3 gallons of rain,water and three teaspoonfuls of Black Leaf 40, the latter compound to be diluted and stirred well into half a pint of the water before adding it to. the 3 gallons with which it is then mixed ; also 2 oz. arsenate of lead with a little water worked into a thin, cream before adding it to the bulk. Stir the mixture well, making it up to 4 gallons, and apply as a spray in the early morning or evening, repeating it weekly as required. For early spring cutting these plants (cabbage and cauliflower) and lettuce should be planted out now into land that is warm, well drained, and well prepared. Seed-beds of main-crop cabbage, cauliflower, and lettuce may be sown down now, also onionsif this has not already been done—intention being to allow the plants to remain in the beds till about July, when they are usually planted out. In localities sufficiently sheltered peas may be sown for harvesting in early spring. . Continue to earth up celery as it is ready ; avoid packing the soil too firm, or the sticks will rot off. Take advantage of any dry fine weather to hoe weeds among growing crops. As soon as land that

is not required immediately , for another crop becomes vacant, sow it down in cover-crop to be ploughed in. White, mustard matures quickly and has much to recommend it. Oats and horse-beans make good growth during winter months. The harvesting of crops will still occupy much time. There is a tendency to allow potatoes to remain in the ground after they are mature, but many risks attach to this policy. Far better is it to lift them when the ground is dry, and sort and bag them up daily, maintaining a consistently sound grade. Onions may be ripened in the field in fine weather, otherwise they are better spread unden cover until thoroughly dry, when they should be trimmed and sorted. Too often they are kept in a damp, close, dark store ; such a place is quite unsuitable. A light, dry, well-ventilated shed is necessary to keep them in good condition. Tomato-vines, as soon as the crop is gathered, should be dug, and, when dry, gathered and carefully burned. Unless another crop is to follow immediately, broadcast a cover-crop and harrow the seed in. The time for sowing the next tomato crop is not far away, and soil will then be required for seed and plant boxes. A good, clean, sweet, friable mixture will be required if the plants are to be grown satisfactorily. This cannot be compounded at the last moment. Most of our troubles with young plants are owing to an endeavour being made to do so. The compost heap should be already mixed for this purpose ; if not, it should be got together without delay. STRAWBERRY-PLANTING. The strawberry is a hardy plant, preferring a heavy well-drained loam in a district with a good rainfall. On clean, well-prepared land it may be planted now. It is customary in most localities to make a liberal dressing of e blood-and-bone manure just before the last ploughing. The greatest care is necessary to obtain good plants of a variety proved suitable to the district. Plant securely on a firm even surface as soon as the plants can be obtained. TOBACCO. With the colder days now being experienced the tobacco crop will want closer supervision, specially if the season be wet. At such times mould fungus is likely to develop and seriously depreciate the quality of the leaf. In extreme cases it may be necessary to dry the atmosphere of the store by means of charcoal fires or setting up a stove heater for a time. This should be done with due caution, remembering that when dry the leaf is very inflammable. HERBACEOUS PLANTS. Preparations for the planting season should now be well forward. Most plants of the herbaceous class may be dealt with at once. Such plants in nature do not remain and flourish long in one position, and in gardens four years or thereabouts is the period of their usefulness. They have then to be lifted, the land reconditioned, and the plants broken up and replanted. Better still is it to recast the scheme of planting so that both the plants and the land enjoy a change.

PERSIMMONS, FIGS, LOQUATS, AND NUTS.

Many kinds of fruit and nuts deserve .more attention from the planter. The persimmon, a native of northern China, where it is grown extensively, has done well almost wherever- it has been planted in this country. Too often an unsuitable variety has been chosen, but such varieties as Tsurogaki and Tamopan are of high quality, and the fruit is said to keep well in cool storage. On the better class of soils with good drainage tigs and loquats might well receive more attention. In this instance, also, growers have been disappointed with seedlings and inferior varieties periences, however, that are almost unavoidable for the pioneer. While the Smyrna class of figs is unsurpassed for richness of flavour, they require the assistance of the little Blattc'phaga wasp to enable them to set their cropan insect that has not yet been successfully introduced into this country. Perhaps nearly as important commercially, however, are White Adriatic and Mission (California Black) varieties, which do not require the assistance above mentioned. The bold foliage of the loquat-tree is a familiar sight in many gardens, but very rarely is a good fruiting variety met with. Named varieties, with fruit of large size and good quality, are . now listed by nurserymen. These are worth a trial in good soil and warm localities. The price of edible nuts warrants further planting. Walnuts, chestnuts, and hazels crop well in this country ; it only remains to secure satisfactory varieties, which, in the case of the first two, must be properly worked on seedling stocks. The hazels and filberts are more often propagated by layering. —W. C. Hyde, Horticulturist.

Investigation of Irrigation in America. — On 3rd March Mr. C. J. McKenzie, Public Works Department, together with Messrs. R. B. Tenn ent and J. R. Marks, writers of the series of articles on “ Irrigation and its Practice,” concluded in last month’s Journal, left Wellington for California and Canada on an official mission of inquiry into irrigation in those territories. The subject will be studied from engineering, agricultural, marketing, administrative, and financial points of view. Messrs. Tennent and Marks will return to New Zealand in about four months ; Mr. McKenzie proceeds to Europe from America on other engineering business. < ■ Rabbit- in Harapepe District. — Regulations under the Rabbit, Nuisance Amendment Act, 1920, were gazetted on 19th February, the effect of which is to suspend trapping in the Harapepe Rabbit District (South Auckland) except by permission and under conditions specified by the Board. London Market for Peas and Beans. —<The following advice was cabled by the High Commissioner on 7th March : Peas Market slow. Japanese parcels which have arrived sold at £23 12s. 6d. per ton ; March-April shipments, £23 15s. Stocks of New Zealand and Tasmanian Partridge heavy and demand poor; nominal values are— New Zealand 65s. to 70s., Tasmanian 75s. to 78s., per 504 lb. ex store; English best quoted at 51s., inferior down to 42s. Beans— English in large supply and demand slow; quoted at 46s. to 51s. per 532 lb. Chinese horse-beans, new crop, July-September shipment, offered at £10 2s. 6d. per ton without finding buyers.