THE KITCHEN GARDEN

Hawke's Bay Herald-Tribune, Volume 81, Issue 1, 24 September 1937, Page 14

THE KITCHEN GARDEN

I Thfnning advico. | At tkis period, when heavy sowings | are taking place a word of advice may | bg useful. If you bought your seeds | from a good source it is h great mis- | take to sow thickly, as it is only waste | and necessitates heavy thinning which | might be avoided. Never allow your | vegetables to crowd oue another, and if I a hrst class crop is expected the seed- ! lings must be thinned out in the early | stages of tbeir growth. By doing this 1 you will |iave larger and quicker re- | turns from less land. » 1 Slaters, Siugs and Snails. I The three "S's" are the gardeners | everlasting enemy. Through the win- | ter they breed in quiet corners and | plau raids on the vegetable_ plots. In | the spring they appear in droves, | fathers, mothers, sisters and brothers, | and devour all. How many gardeners | are ready for the invasion? Not many, l I'm afraid. A sure and cheap remedy { is 211b of ordinary bran or pollard i mixed with loz of Paris green and i sprinkled round the seedling beds. The i vermin eat the sweet bran and are | quickly poisoned by the Paris green. Succession orops. 1 One secret of growing peas and | beans is to have a continual supply. | Both these crops stop bearing if the fruits are not picked when ready. Why " make large "sowings that you cannot use at once. Fortnightly sow a row of seed, and by doing so ensure your continuous supply the whole season through. The earliest varieties are Wm Hurst, A Wonder and Little Gem. !' Tlie second early varieties are Stratagem, Daisy and Richard Seddon. Tall or later sorts are Yorkshire Hero and Glory of Devon. ' Plants and Seeds to Set Now. Our readers who are fond of gardening will find plenty of work to occupy 'them in the following weeks. Sow now carrots, parsnips, beet, turnip swede, broccoli, brussels sprouts, red oabbage, borecole, spring onions, leeks and cress. Set the following plants : — Tomatoes, onion, lettuce, beet, cabbage, cauli- = iiower, sage, parsley, thyme, and mar- [ joram. Tbe tubers of choko, garlic and I potatoes must be set at once. | Spraying to Prevent. | With spring blossoms now appearing, | on, the trees, the gardener thinks of ; huge crops of fruit for the summer \ months. To ensure success you must j spray to prevent the numerous blights \ that attack the trees. When the blos- \ soms are falling on the apples spray [ with arsenate of load, loz a gallon to | pievent codlin moth. For leaeli ' on plums, apply the same atrength. 1'eafches and nectarines should be sprayj ed as soon as the young leaves appear i with bordeaux powder or lime and sul1 phur, to prevent leaf curl. Apply weak- | ly because of the tender foliage. Manuring. ! Most vegertables are strong feeders, and I the land should be kept up to a high state of fertility by using plenty of | manure to replace chemical elements i which plants extract from the soil. Ar- \ tificial manures such as bonedust, super, \ blood and bone, potashi and lime, are all | excellent fertilisers, and if properly ap- | plied >vill prove a profitable invest- | ment. For forcing on cabbage and letl tuce that are backward in growth, use ' nitrate of soda, loz a gallon of water. If the weather is wet, apply dry at the rate of ^oz a square yard.