THE FARM GARDEN.

Kaipara and Waitemata Echo, 4 December 1912, Page 3

THE FARM GARDEN.

Peas should be sown twice during the month. Choose a variety whose h Qight does not exceed about 30in,, unless sticks can be pxovideu for support, and remember it is only by providing sticks that the best results can be obtained. "When the haulm is kept clear of the soil growth is better in every way, and th« pods are finer and cleaver. The additional facilities afforded for cultivation alone make the cultivation of taller varieties worth while. Red cabbages should be planted as soon as possible. Catjliklower-plants, from seed put in as previously advised, should not be allowed to crowd each other in the' seed bed. Lift the requisite number and put them about 4 in. or 5 in. apart in a nurse-bed to strengthen. They should be planted out finally in good soil before they reach an unwieldy size. Brussels sprouts should be advancing contemporaneously with the cauliflowers and be similarly treated. Small supplies of turnips should be provided for by sowing once a month. They are not usually required in large quantities during the surnrrer, but a constant supply of tender roots is desirable, if only for flavouring pui-poses. Broccoli-plants, being hardier than cauliflowers, are less likely to be spoiled by crowding; it is not, however, good practise to allow this. It is better to treat them the same way as cauliflowers, This secures dwarf plants in place of awkward leggy ones. Onions should be kept free from weeds and the ground kept loose, They will seldom do well unless this condition is maintained. The loss of onions from mildew is very great in some districts, and the loss is greatest in wet seasons, particularly in low and flat country. It is wise to spray several times for the control of this disease. It is useless to wait till the plants are severely attacked before spraying, for then very little good may be done. The plants should be spray ■ ed as soon as they begin to grow freely, repeating it several times unless the weather should prove dry and sunny ; in any case a spraying should be given in January. The remedy is Bordeaux mixture of .V 5-50 strength As the Bordeaux mixture does not readily adhere to onion foliage, and is eas'ly washed off by rain, it is advisable to use a re&in sticker with the mixture. To make the sticker, boil together 2lb of resin, Ilb of sodacrystals, and 1 gallon of water until a clear brown colour appears. Add this amount to 50 gallons of the Bordeaux mixture. There is some danger of burning the foliage. Massce, in "Diseases of Cultivated Plants," advises, instead of Bordeaux mixture, '6 per cent of sulphate of iron dissolved in water, which he says is quite as effective against mildew, cheaper, more easily prepared, and does not injure the foliage. The strength should be 3 lb of sulphate of iron to 100 gallons of water. Frexcii beaxs should be sown at intervals of from three to four weeks. Most people; will prefer the golden podded sorts —butter beans. Thore is some confusion as to names of varies ties. Tht. variety with largo brown seeds is decidedly the best. Some catalogues call it Mont dOr ; others give a small blade soed % under that name. The black seeded sorts produce beans that are too small to be generally appreciated, though they j are of excellent quality, but not bettor than the larger "Wood's Centennial is i good variety ; it may bo termed the second best. Lettuces can be got ready for use in tho shortest timo by mowing the seed where the plants are to grow, thus avoiding the cheek caused by transplanting. Sow the seed thinly in drill?, and thin to the necessary "distances. Tomato pkaxts should, ha out in most places by now. The only attention required for a linio will be the suppression of hide shoots. Whatever system of training may be adopted no hide shoots should bo allowed. Pinch them all out as soon as passible atVr they show. The main stems, which bear tho fruit, whether there be one stem, two, or three, should be kept clear of all wnsro growth.