Kitchen Garden.

Manawatu Herald, 8 April 1893, Page 2

Kitchen Garden.

Every opportunity should be seised to dig and trench vacant .spaces, it being a work -which is better performed now than/when the soil has become heavy and soddened with winter rains. Manure can be more easily wheeled and the dry soil moved with more comfort than 1 is' possible after saturation "-with water. In trenching any large luinp&cgnb'uld be^ broken up in the bottom of the trench. When about n tbi fo'ericfi, a thick coating of maniif G <~Bhbiil<i be spread over the surface; and- c as, 4he first spit of earth l is forked- into 4he trench, which has been made at one end of the ground, the mamu'eKbecomes mixed with 'it. The loose soil should' then ba'throwninwith a v shovel, anbttier dressing of manure may be placed over this, then a spit of earth and another shovelling |roni the bottom of the trench to finish. The hard bottom of the trench should be loosened with * a fork. After this work, if t well performed, and with plenty of manure the ground will be in a fit state^fco 'grow any kind of vegetables.; ' TEe surface of the ground 6ught> la 6e-leJfc perfectly level, whethei?: -trenched, or -, merely dug over. This operation of trenching also affords an excellent opportunity of getting rid, by decent burial, of all the refuse "ot the past season. Commence the preparation of Seakale for forcing by clearing away decayed foliage and weeds ; the exposure to the sun and air matures the, , plants. When gooseberries hare stoocL-* 1 for many years the bushes seldom produce fine fruits. If land is prepared at this season tor new plantations, new bushes may be planted at any time during autumn and winter*.— The bushes may be planted] afe-^rafr .. somewhat close together, but a|they grow and gain in size, they should not be stinted for space, nothing being worse for the Gooseberry; than crowding them together, the ..fruits coming small and poor in flavour. In making plantations, it ia advisable to keep tate-rlpetting Y»vieti«f»

*

and those intended for dessert, apart from those which bear early, or are used in the green state. Planting should be done when the soil is moderately dry, making the soil firm about the roots. Do not bury the roots deeply, certainly not more than six inches. If the work be done early, good-sixed bushes may with care be successfully transplanted without the loss of an entire crop next year. The pruning of Gooseberry bushes may be proceeded with forthwith, even if some of the leaves still hang on the branches. In pruning, freely thin the shoots, and keep the crown of a reasonable size and neatly shaped ; do not let branches or shoots cross each other, and spur back all shoots that are removed to two buds, cutting out whole branches where crowding is likely to occur, and cut away all shoots that hang too near the ground. — Exchange.