GARDEN NOTES

Levin Daily Chronicle, 3 October 1918, Page 1

GARDEN NOTES

Tho"Ugh the weather is still cpM— yerily "a late, cold spring—there is sufficient growth both_of plants and weeds

to keep one busy. Any gardener who can keep up with the work of the day must be ycrycOmpetent and very quick. He will hot waste time. From daylight until dark he must be busy. And by the time the work is over his legs and back will probably ; be giving him . trouble. • •> .

However, that will not matter very much. A man who takes pleasure in his gardening is usually a good sleeper. A long night in bed puts away all the pains and the aches, and gives him a. good beginning:fbr» the morrow. y f .. There ate plenty of important jobs, "that can still' be' done. Lay hold _of any t® your' liking, and get busy .without delay. • , On the .heavy soil the wet state of tie, ground may prevent much ground» work being done, but as soon as it isdry enough to tread on the . soil should/ be loosened up amongst all growing crops. - / > - The heavy rains have beaten the surface down so'thoroughly that it prevents the air from penetrating freely, which not 1 only retards the healthy growth o£. the roots, but keeps the •ground cclldi. Do not be in too great a 'Ijtiriy t§Vsow the main crops of seed until the, soil is in a free, workable .condition. . ,

- ' It will soon be time to put in the main crops. Sow peas, beans, cabbage, lettuce, carrots, parsnips, beet, onions for pickling; in fact, most vegetables and salads..

Plant out onions, cabbages, cauliflowers, lettuce, etc. , A" little sprinkling of bonedust or other artificial manure close, to but not on the .roots, help them materially. Turnips should" be sown about every .seventh or eight week, which means that when a<bed, begins to ~c ome into use it. is time to sow another lot. They talfe from seven to eight weeks from sowing to come into first use, and the bed is good for about the same length of time.

Presuming a sowing of carrots has been already made for early use, there is no need to sow again till the mainor winter crop is sown. The time for this varies with local conditions. On flat open country the first week in November is early enough, and if net in earlier the roots become overgrown. In these places the sun shines in on the soil from about 4in the l morning till 7 in the evening. But in hilly country not much more than half those hours of sunshine are experienced, so that the advance of the crop is slower, making it right to sow about the middle of September. Parsnips, red • beet, cabbage, an A savoys are affected in the same way. Brussels sprouts should be sown everywhere; ' they are of little use unless they haver a long season of growth.. Broccoli is so far affected that while it is good practice to sow in mid-Sep-tember anywhere, and it is little use to sow later in hilly places, they can be sown six weeks later on open country, which enables a grower to use land occupied by -other crops to a greater extent, though the difference in time of planting is not great, as the plants in open country come in'so much faster. Cauliflowers of a giant kind should be so*?vn everywhere; they provide a valuable autumn crop. Leek seed, sufficient for the winter supply should be sown. This will be the last sowing; much later than the end of September would be too late to sow. Even if it were otherwise, it is best to sow when stated;, as they stand right through the winter, gaining s : ze all the time, and size is a sign, of quality in leeks. ■ . ; Scakaleseed may be put in where a beginning is to be made of its cultivation. Best way to sow is in drills one inch deep, drop two or throe seeds about eight inches apart, and thin to one when the plants are safe. The soil should be rich, so that the plants' can make strong growth; they will then be ready for planting out in a year s time.