Kitchen Garden.

Manawatu Herald, Volume III, 26 February 1891, Page 3

Kitchen Garden.

After clearing away the exhausted crops the ground should at once be made ready for successional crops, such as hardy Greens, Coleworts and similar vegetables. Broccoli, Cauliflowers, and whiter greens do well after Potatoes, as the ground in which the latter have been grown has generally been well manured and cultivated. All that has to be done is to level the soil, and put out good strong plants in rows 2ft or 3ft apart. Many of these are leggy when first put out, and they become still more so after the lower leaves have fallen. If these are well moulded up, this has the effect of steadying them in rough weather and also to a certain extent protecting the stems from frosts. Moulding ought to be done early, or before the plants have fallen about the rows. Liquid manure is not thrown away on many of these crops, and this can be most readilly applied in the furrows caused by moulding up the rows. Cabbages also do well under this treatment, and quite strong liquid manure may be safely applied Further sowings of Prickly Spinach may be made in rich soil so as to cause luxuriant growth. The stronger the soil the more succulent will be the leaves, consequently more delicious and tender. Soaking the seed in water for a few hours until it has swelled considerably will hasten germination. If th) soil be dry, moistening the gro:i:».l in the drills Ik-fore sowing Avili !k- found a better plan than watering niter the seed is sown. Early thinning out ought to be resorted to as a precaution against weakly growth as, however, there is always a demand for young leaves, the thinning-out should be light at first, and continued according as the plants are large enough to use. Leave them 8 inches apart at first, and finally thin to 6 inches apart. Spinach as a rule transplants badly, but if any can be lifted with a trowel without much injury to the tap root, blanks may be made good in that way. This should be done in dull, showery weather if possible. Slugs are very troublesome in places, especially to quite young plants and those newly transplanted. Soot freely and frequently dusted among the rows, and stirred between them and among the plants will do much towards keeping trouble* some pests at bay, and also promotes stronger growth of the Spinach. Ground intended for Onions should be deeply dug and well manured. These whiter Onions should be sown in drills about 15 inches apart, making the surface soil fine und smooth sowing. If soot can be probured a top dressing of that* manure will be found very advantageous. If not already done, the sowing of Cabbage seed should be finished at once. Lettuce and Endive for winter supply should be planted in any favourable vacant spaces. The earthing ot Celery should be done when the plants are quite dry, and take care that no crumbs of earth fall in amongst the leaves. The soil along the sides of the trenches should be chopped down a little at a time, and made very fine and pressed down pretty firmly. Keep the leaves straight and close together, either by a tie or the hand. Finish off the surface with a slope down from the plants, so that if heavy rains should come they will not wash the soil into the hearts.