THE VEGETABLE GARDEN.

Matamata Record, Volume II, Issue 72, 7 March 1918, Page 1

THE VEGETABLE GARDEN.

(W. 11. Taylor in Journal of Agriculture) Planting of all the brassica tribe —which includes cabbages, savoys, broccoli, cauliflowers, etc. —should be completed as soon as possible. In all parts of the Dominion except the warmer districts early in February is really quite late enough. Planting at the present time is usually in dry soil and with considerable sunheat. Frequent watering may be practicable in some cases, but in others—particularly with large plantings —it is not. Watering, however, is not necessary except in places where there is extreme heat. My own custom is not to water at all, and I find it best not to do so. The plants are stood in a tub containing two or three inches of water, and in an hour or so they become well charged with water and are ready for planting. The plants are taken from the tub in bunches. A handful of mud is lifted from the bottom of the tub and rubbed over the bunch of roots, this protecting them from the sun during planting. The plants are put in with a short-handled hoe. First flick off the dry surface soil, drive the hoe in the soil, pull it to you so as to make an opening behind, insert the roots of a plant in the opening, withdraw the hoe, and with the head of it give a smart punch to the soil to close it in about the roots of the plant. I have never found it necessary to water plants put out in this manner. Leeks may still be put out provided they are large plants. Silver-beet may still be sown, or spare plants from an earlier sowing may be put out. In most places this plan, may be best. Spinach sown now will be in good time except in cold places. The plants should be thinned as soon as they can be handled; they require to be at least Bin. apart. This crop will produce leaves all winter. Turnips may be sown for winter use about the middle of March, and a good breadth should be put out. It is a good plan to sow two kinds, a white for first use and a yellow-fleshed variety for later use, as the latter stand longer than white sorts. The yellowfieshed sorts are valuable in winter, having a superior flavor during those months. Sow thinly to save labor in thinning. Those plants that are to stand long must have room to develop. The rows that are first drawn from can be thinned by pulling the roots for use, and very little special thinning will be needed if the seed is not put in too liberally. Celery should be ready for moulding-up. Be careful to keep the stalks upright and close together, so as to prevent soil getting to the hearts. Pack the soil firmly round the base of the heads, so that there may be no sinkage of the bank of soil, which might buckle the -plants and cause pithy stems. Tomatoes: Late fruit is often secured in mild climates by allowing the top growth to run. The plants should produce till stopped by frost. Sea-kale beds should be cleaned by removing all dead leaves and weeds. Good exposure of light and air will mature the crowns. Potatoes may be dug and stored in a dry shed. It is a good plan to sprinkle a little air-slaked lime over the tubers ; this hardens the skin and prevents moisture from collecting on them. The ground occupied by potatoes may be utilised for winter crops. DISEASES AND INSECT PESTS. Celery-rust gives trouble in some places, and once the disease obtains a good hold it cannot be cured. In the early stages affected leaves should be cut off, and the plants at once sprayed with bordeaux mixture. A small louse sometimes attacks celery. The remedy is to spray with an insecticide, such as Vistolene or XL-All fluid, applying the spray as soon as an attack is noticed. The insects suck the juices of the plant and soon cause the leaves to wither. Nothing can be done when that stage is reached. The same or similar insects attack carrots and parsnips—the same remedies are effective.

Cabbage-fly : This term (which is a wrong one) is usually applied to the diamond-backed moth, the larvae of which attack all plants of the cruciferous family, including the cabbage tribe, turnips, and the stocks of the flower garden. Preventive measures —the use of tarwater —have been described at seasonable times in the Journal. It is ’now too late for the use of preventives. Fortunately there is not much evidence of the pest this season ; there never is when showery weather prevails. Various remedies have been tried to fight the larvae, but all are useless unless there is growing weather. Growing weather is showery weather, and then the moths are not present in devastating numbers. Still, there may be enough of them to do harm, for the grubs always attack the tender heart-leaves of the plants, and by injuring them prevent development. In such cases I have found the best remedy to be hellebore powder dusted into the heart of the plant. Spraying with kerosene emulsion and arsenate of lead has been extensively tested. When the season is very dry and plants make but little growth these compounds injure the plants. Combined with irrigation they would be useful, but not otherwise, and they are not wanted in showery summers. Hellebore powder answers well and is less trouble.

Cabbage and turnip aphis may be treated with weak kerosene emulsion, about 1 in 15, but Vistolene is safer and more certain in action. On brussels sprouts the large grey aphis is best treated by forcible syringing with boiling water. A coarse nozzle should be used, so as not to divide the water finely, which would cool it too much.