The Farm Garden.

Horowhenua Chronicle, 24 May 1912, Page 2

The Farm Garden.

(W. H. Taylor, of tho Weraroa Experimental Farm). THE VEGETABLE GARDEN. Leeks that have been planted in the manner advised should now be in an advanced state of growth. They will, if planted deeply in the way indicated, constitute a fine xegetable, with no other attention. They, however, may be further improved by ridging up earth against them in the following manner: Get strips of paper unci bind thorn around the stem to keep the soil from getting between the leaves and the stems, then draw up soid to tho desired height. 1 use old numbers of some of the weekly papers. A page cut in two is just the right size. Xo tying is required, and the operation is quickly performed.

Those? who like to got broad beans early may sow «at once. In the way of ordinary routine they would bo sown early in June. This 'brings them into use about the latter end of October. Spinach stands well through winter, and gives fairly large loaves if it has been properly thinned; not otherwise. See that it is done. The plants .should not be closer thnn 9in to each other; better a bit further apart than closer. .SI LVEU-B KET also should stand singly, l'Jin or even more apart. Winter rhubarb should be planted i at once if it is to be of any service Jf it is not planted now it would bo wiser to wait till spring, and sow the seed. In well-drained soil it may to some advantage to sow peas at the end of this month, May. It i.s a regular practice with some. In ordinary place.s tho advantage is not great. It inean.s getting peas about the 23th October, instead of 10th .November; but the crop is not usually a very good one. •Jerusalem artichokes will havo died down by now. There itMio need to lift the roots unless the ground is wanted. .It is best to leave them in the soil, and dig as required. They keep quite well in the ground, and may be left till they show signs of growing in spring. Asparagus will he ready for cutting down. This should be done before the IMLMS BEIMUKS " tail. Cut quite close to the surface, if possible give a good dressing of farmyard or stable manure. There is no advantageg in giving salt or other fertilizer at this time, an it would be leeched through the soil before the roots become active. Jho.se who are growing senkale, may force it for use at any time after the old leaves arc dead. Seakale is not as generally cultivated ;is it should be. In all large homestead gardoiiK it should find a place, I"' , it ranks high as a choice vegetable, being always acceptable, particularly ,so when the owner entertains at all. All through winter and well into .spring it may be available at any given time with due notice. As its cultivation is not very generally understood among station gardener* a few lilies on it may ho acceptable. SKAKALK,

The first consideration is r j c jj so jj § Do not grow it if you J ia vc not that. Fairly deop i.s must be, too; so trench a patch, and work in sniiio manure in the lower layors of soil. A start may be made with need: but you will only need this once, as there are better ways of propagation once you get Ji start. The-seed may he ■sown in .spring, when the onions arc sown. How in rows 30in apart, and put in. two or three seeds at intervals of -Min in the rows, the spaces between the rows may he utilised for other erop.s— lettuces or French beans — lor the first season. Tho seed may he rained in beds and transplanted. 1 prefer the former plan as it offers a reasonable chance of a cutting the following winter, which would certainly not he gained if tho seedlings had to he transplanted. During summer every means should he taken to encourage growth, by keeping tho surface stirred, mulching in DRV WEATHKIt,

and watering with liquid manure if possible. The greater the growth the better the result. Whether one, two or three .seeds come up where, they are sown, they may be left as they come. It will be all the same in tho end. One plant is likely to grow strongest but wto or three, supply more crowns for tho start. Future propagation for extending the bed is done by whips of the roote. To secure roots lift tlic necessary 'lumber of plants and cut off the rools. those as thick as the littlo finger of the kind will bo suitable. Cut them into lengths of oin or Gin. Vlnnt in rows in the same, way as the seed was sown. The whips aro to be pi-anted in a perjwndicular position, with the top just clear of the soil. This I like to cover with a little coal-ash, to keep slugs away. During the first season of growth tho whips should be allowed to make only one shoot each. These sprout out from the top end of the whip, More usually appear, but they should bo reduced to that number. I like, three whips in each place, so as to provide three good crowns, for when forced for the first time they arc unlikely to push up as manj shoots

as a seedling, though of better quality. This oxplains the two ways of establishing a bed, and it only remains to add, in this connection, that, qtrite. likely, the above plan may not agree with OLD COUNTRY METHODS as advised in books. The difference in climate, however, renders other moans of forcing applicable, hence different methods. Forcing may be done at any tinio after the old leaves have died off. If the bed is of useful dimensions it may bo continued all winter, and during spring blanching may bo done without forcing. In Groat Britain special pots arc in uso for covering. These arc somewhat -bell-shaped and have at tho upper end , a movable top. In this country wo use what we win, from kerosene-cases to the useful kerosene.-tin. Whatever is used it must be open top and bottom 'but the top must bo covered with something movable. -Hie crowns are to be covered with tho box, or whatever is used, first dusting around the plants with lime to ensure that no live slugs are enclosed. The top is laid on, and the whole is covered with fermenting manure. The manure should be of a strawv nature. A covering of lft above the box, as well as all round, is eufficio.nt. The crowns aro usually ready in fourteen days from covering, provided the manure keeps its beat. "When ready for use

THE SHOOTS are almost piiro white. The leaves, just beginning to unfold, have the edges delicately tinted with pink. The crown is cut with a piece of the stump attached; so that it remains intact. Having cut the crowns the top of the hnx must he left off, so that light may reach the plants. Later on, as convenience suggests, the manure is removed. The old crowns break into growth, sending out quite a number of side-shoots. If there are at this time three or four crowns in the clump then allow each crown to l)«ir but one new one. llemove nil the other hlioots at once. "When spring comes in it is not necessary to force growth, it comes naturally ; hence covering is only for blanching. The crowns are, net usablo unless blanched. Covering with soil over the boxes is sufficient, and even the boxes may he dispensed with on very light soils. All that is necessary is to throw a ridge of soil, about 12in high, above the crowns, and the shoots will draw up into it. The soil ie pulled away when experience tells that the crop is ready.—Journal of Department of Agriculture.