THE GARDEN.

Hauraki Plains Gazette, Volume XXXIII, Issue 4384, 1 March 1922, Page 1

THE GARDEN.

VEGETABLE CULTURE.

(By W. H. Taylor, horticulturist), in the Journal of Agriculture.) In southern and middle districts planting for winter crops should. Have been finished before this time, but in the warmer districts latter planting is possible and often advisable. Ip. Hawke’s /Bay I have planted celery, cabbages, and savoys during the last half of February and secured good results. Brussels sprouts and broccoli planted at the same time were not a success, however. Where it is not. possible to plant these at least a month earlier they are best left outBrussels sprouts are the best off- all winter vegetables, but they are difficult plants tb grow in a hot and dry climate. Soil that is rather heavy, and a medium climate, suit them best With regard to broccoli—plants that require a long season of growth —I doubt if it is worth while attempting to grow them in hot climates. They must be planted early, and the months of hot, dry weather are very trying to them,, while if the cabbage moth attacks them their case is wellnigh hopeless. In tfie warmer districts cauliflowers can be grown in a short Dime, and may well supplant the broccoli. Early varieties of cauliflowers, such as Snowball and Early Paris, may be sown near the end of Mprch, and again near, the end of April. The first heads will be ready before September is past, while the succession from these sowings will last till th.e end of November or a little later. At the time tlie first sowing \of an early variety is made—near the end of March —s.eed of a giant kind should alsp be sown. The produce of this sowing will carry the supply on to the end of Che year. The broccoli is a mor© robust and much hardier plant than the cauliflower. Its greatest value is found in cold countries, or in parts of a semitropical country where frost and snow are experienced in winter. The broccoli will bear without injury degrees of ‘’old that would kill the cauliflower. It produces heads during the short days of winter, which the cauliflower cannot do. So far as I know, cauliflowers cannot be produced in any part of New Zealand during the period between midj-june and midSeptember, but can in the warmer districts be got at any other time. The period mentioned is. that during which broccoli would be valuable, but to get broccoli at! that time necessitates planting in November, and December —at least, such is my experience. If this cannot be done T can see no use in growing them at all, because, as shown above, cauliflowers can be got during the‘later periods in a much .shorter time and with smaller risk of failure.

Onions should by now have almost completed their growth, and no more watering should be done nor anymore fertilisers given. If the tops are still green and growing, watering, or the application of any kind of fertiliser, would cause them to continue a growth that is already too late. Keep the soil clean by surface. Workingt the heat reflected from clean soij.ns■sists ripening. The drier the vjeather ana -soil the better ar ( e these condithe bulbs. If it is considered advisable to bend the tops down to assist the ripening process this must be carefully done. The tops may be bent, but must not be broken; if they are, new tops will push up through the break and the bulb be ruined. \ A good breadth of turnips s should be sown during March—the early part of the month in most places, and the latter end in 'warm districts. This lot will stand through winter. I advise sowing two sorts — a, white, such as Snowball, for first use, and a yellowfleshed sort for later use. Swedes should be ready .ton thinning. Attend to this as early as possible, thinning to about! Bin apart.

■ In the warmer districts another sowing of French beans may be made, but it should be done at once; Spinach and silber beet were mentioned in last month’s notes. If not already done, sow at once. Winter rhubarb will benefit by a mulch of stable manure or a good dressing of poultry manure. This is a plant that will bear any .amout of natural manure, though it is easily injured by an overdose of artificial fertiliser. As soon as growth becomes free, stalks may be pulled for use. T.he clumps should not be pulled bare; always leave a few leaves on each clump. THE CABBAGE MOTH. (Plutella cruciferarum.) The larvae of this moth are among the most troublesome pests the gardener has to contend with.' In a dry summer, and where irrigation is im-r practicable, I believe there is no way to conquer them. They are essehtial-i ly dry-weather insects, never being present in great number during an extra wet summer. If planting is done in the midst ’of a dry season .where the moth' is prevalent the young plants never get away. Spray-, ing is useless without abundant irrigation, for the grubs first attack the young leaves in the centre of the plants and so prevent further growth. The moths breed so rapidly that attacks are constantly repeated. If conditions of drought are not extreme it is possible to save the crops,’ but frequent attention is necessary. Black Leaf 4'o, 1 pint in 100 gallons, of water, is an effectual poison spray. When spraying, particular attention must be paid to the under-side,of the leaves. The moth deposits ,itij eggs on the upper surface, but as soon as these hatch out the caterpillars remove to the under-side or to the heart of the plant. When growing conditions are fairly gopd this spray

should save the plants. Quassia is another good remedy. To make a solution allo.w a handful of quassia chips for each 8 gallons of water. To prepare, boil the chips for at least half an hour in a smaller quantity of* water, strain the liquid into a barrel, add more water to the chips, and strain that also into the barrel. Add 11b of soft soap, previously dissolved in hot ’water, to each 25 gallons, then fill up with the necessary quantity of cold water. This is a poison spray; 1 it is deadly to all small insects, will not injure animals, and is a topic to human beings. v Ail insects have a strong dislike to tar, and this has been used to prevent the moths depositing their eggs on cabbages, etc. The smell o$ the tar is obnoxious to insects, and further serves to overpower the natural aroma of the cabbage tribe. The object j sought can be accomplished if sufficient of the solution is used, as I myself have proved. The method is as follows: In 2 gallons of boiling water place %lb of quite fresh coaltar ; stir till all the tar is' dissolved, and make up to 25 gallons by,adding cold -water. The plants and ing soil should be wetted with the solution, the being repeated after rain. It s,hould ( be noted that old tar will not dissolve perfectly, while if free tar is the solution it will kill tlie plants by burning. The w.ater must boil before the tar is added; if placed in cold water the tar will adhere to the boti tbm of the vessel, and some of it will be left after boiling. With regard, co strength, 50 gallons is usually the measure advised lor %lb of tar, but I consider this solution to be too weak. Conditions that; favour the moth are adverse to growth, which must be encouraged as ffiuc.li> ps possible. Apply water where possible, and in any case give a little quick-acting fertiliser, such as nitrate of soda. Presuming the. soil, to be properly furnished with fertilisers or manure, nitrate of soda will push the plants into growth If it is at all possible. The nitrate may be given in liquid form, %oz to each gallon of water, and applied close around the plants. Two or three applications may be given four or five weeks apart.