Kitchen Garden.

Manawatu Herald, 15 October 1892, Page 2

Kitchen Garden.

There is a heavy seed list for this month including successional sowings of Peas and Beans, Cabbage, Broccoli, and Cauliflower. The Broccoli should be sown in drills and pricked out as soon as large enough to handle in well manured, well dug land at about Bft between the rows and 20in from plant to plant. This allows the intermediate space to be utilised for such crops as wilL be oleared away before the autumn. A large breadth of Carrots should be sown. Carrots thrive in well-worked pulverised ground. Kecently manured soil is not good for Carrots, this causing the roots to become forked. There are, however, exceptions to this rule, and these are where the manure is some distance from the surface and applied early enough to becomo partially disintegrated. Burned garden refuse, to which the Carrot is very partial, should have been worked into the surface ere this, but if not, there should not be any delay if such material is at hand for the purpose. A light dressing of soot and salt, the latter/at the rate of an ounce or even two to the square yard, raked into the surface previous to seed-sowing, I acts as a deterrent to maggot and also as a pulveriser. Select ths intermediate and stump rooted forms for shallow and cold soils. The above forms are mentioned because on shallow and cold soils the varieties which require a deep soil, would be comparatively useless. Previous to seed-sowing, if the ground should be at all light and spongy, it should be equally trodden over previous to drawing drills. The drills for the main crop kinds should be drawn at least 12 inches apart, and if space is an object, the stump-rooted 10 inches The seids should be sown thinly, and if the soil is at all lumpy, germination will be greatly assisted by filling in the drills with lighter and sandy soil. The seeds should be rubbed in Band before sowing. Spinach, Celery, Leeks, Lettuces, Turnips and Beet have also to be

sown. Of the long varieties of the latter vegetable Dell's Crimson may be recommended as a well-tried variety, having medium sized roots of an excellent colour. PragnelFs Exhibition is a favourite Beet among exhibitors at Home shows, being of good shape, colour and quality The Turnip rooted variety is best for earliest use. The~ long-rooted* cornel on later. In cultivating Beet, the preparation of the soil is of the greatest importance, for if this should be poor and stony, or even badly worked, the roots, besides being of a poor quality become forked. Eeoently manured land also has a tendency to cause the roots to be forked, and for this reason a plot should be chosen which had heen well manured for a previous crop, such as Celery, Cauliflower, or even Cabbage. According to the analysis of the Beetroot (says a home journal), potash aod salt predominate as the main constituents, although soda ii also present in a good proportion. Looking to these facts, it is evident that these elements must be present insufficient quantity, if well nurtured roots are to be had. As a fcrm of potash, wood ashes or burned vegetable refuse is perhaps the best. Soot may be used and also salt. On light soils this latter is of proved benefit. This should be sprinkled over the surface previous to sowing, at the rate of two ounces to the square yard When ground is ready sowing, drills should be drawn at least fifteen inches apart and also about an inch and a half in depth, for if at a lesser depth and a dry time should ensue, the seeds might fail to germinate. Thinings out may take place directly the seedlings are large enough.