Farm, and Garden.

Alexandra Herald and Central Otago Gazette, Issue 452, 15 December 1904, Page 2

Farm, and Garden.

ARTICLES. -vj.J ADVANTAGEOUS SACKING GRAPES. Q RAPES have a number of enemies, some are of fungous origin, others are insects, and still others are birds. They may be effectually protected and shielded from many enemies by tho proper use of small bags. The bags reoommended for use are made of tough paper, and may be purchased oheaply by the thousand, if necessary, from dealers in supplies of that character. They are such as grocers use for putting up small packages for their customers. Those holding about one quart, known as two-pound bags, are a good size for most varieties of the grapet A few varieties having very large clusters may require larger bags. A single bag is placed ovtr each cluster and made fast by the use of a pin, small wire, or tie of some kind, and allowod to remain there until the fruit is ripe and ready for use. To be thoroughly effectual as a safeguard against the attacks of disease and insects, the bags should be placed over tho cluster after the blooming season is past, if possible before the young grapes aro larger than bird-shot. A little delay will often give the germs of disease and depredating insects an opportunity to plant themselves on or in the newly-formed fruit, and in that case the bags will fail to perform the good service expected of thorn. Tho bags are e'asily and quite rapidly applied, especially where tho vines are proparly trained, as the fruit clusters will then be within easy reach of the operator, and will be much fewer in numbers and of better size than if the vines were neglected; the expense of bags and labour is trifling, and the good results are beyond question -They may be summarised as follows: Bags protect grapes from rot and mildew; from various insects, including bees, wasps, hornets, and flies of all kinds; and from tho sting of the grape moth and cufculio that produces the larva, or worm, that is so often found within the berry itself; aud they protect them from tho attacks of several kinds of birds that break the skin of grapes and invite further injury by bees and insects and from chickens. Grapes that have been bagged are always cloan and froo from dust and smoke, and being sound may be allowed to remain for use much longer on the vine until they are in danger of frost, and if then cut when dry and laid away in a cool, well-ventilated room, with the bags on, they may be kept for use for a long time after grapes that were not bagged are gone. The operator—perhaps the farmer's wifo or daughter, equipped with bags and pins or wiresslips the open mouth of a bag over the newly-formed cluster of grapes and, folding it down about the stem, pins it in place or makes it fast by passing a very small piece of pliable wire around the neck of the bag, and tho work is done. The pins can be .of the cheapest majie, or if wire is used it should bo cut beforehand into lengths of about four inches. The mouth of the bag must be carefully folded about the stem of the bunch, or otherwise it may admit insects or disease germs, or even rain-water that will sometimes fall, to find its way out through the bag, and would thus spoil the fruit. A little practice will soon render the operator expert in affixing the bags. j CONFINING THE HEN TURKEY. ! It has been found that confining th 6 . turkey hen in a coop where the young turks can go in and out at will is the best place to keep them when young and in bad weather. The young ones cannot stand confinement at any time. Place the coop in a well-drained place, where the grass is short, and move the coop from one place to another after a short period, After the poults are a week or so old the hen can be turned out a few hours each day, but not long enough to tiie them out, as they are very tender and cannot stand much trailing through the grass at that age. When the turks are three or four weeks old the hen need not be kept in the coop, only till the dew is off in the morning and in bad weather. Best Oniou Soil.—Onions requires very rich soil, a sandy loam being excellent, provided there is not too much sand. Splendid onions are raised on muck swamps [ that have been thoroughly drained.