A Mammoth Kitchen Garden.

Manawatu Herald, 20 October 1898, Page 2

A Mammoth Kitchen Garden.

The Yankees as a rule are the men for big things, but in this Borough we have a kitchen-garden of a very respectable size. The garden we refer to is that of Mr Joe Tos, and is situated opposite to Mr George Nye's farm. We visited it yesterday because we were astonished when speaking to Mr Tos that he did not intend having any crops or potatoes in quan-

tity this year. As he rents some eighty-six acres of ground we rather wondered what he was doing with it, when he informed us that he required all the land for culinary vegetables. When you come to think the matter out and know that one acre will grow 17,000 cabbages, it appears difficult to understand where the sale can be. Mr Tos is very pushing, of that there can be no doubt, as not only does he run a vegetable and grocery store in town, but has a shop in Cuba street, Wellington, besides a cart and man also in that city. All vegetables do not necessarily go to Wellington as, when prices suit, a quantity are sent to Napier, and ! this year, owing to the general shortage of brocoli everywhere except in our local garden, many sacks a week went to that town. To run a kitchengarden of this area necessitates a thorough knowledge of gardening, great patience, and a large capital. Just now there are fourteen men employed, with three more to arrive, and three horses are always at work. At present all the land is not in crop, some being ploughed and part waiting to be ploughed, but by far the largest area is in crop and looking very well, except what requires weeding, and we were told that in six weeks this would be finished.

The crops now being used for sale are turnips, which are the earliest in the Wellington market and are thus finding excellent sale, radishes, lettuces which we can all testify are excellent, and these are saM to be the best that find their way to Wellington, cabbages, celery, and rhubarb.

Amongst the vegetables that will soon be ready are potatoes, (the Beauty of Hebron variety) peas in good pod, and onions that will be ripe before Xmas.

A walk round the garden will astonish the visitor as patches of cabbages of two to three acres in one block, four or five acres of peas, and so on for the other varieties will be seen. We understand that there are altogether in different stages of growth some , seven acres of onions, seven acres of cabbages, five acres of cauliflowers, and fifteen acres of peas. There are large patches of cucumbers planted out, and some very forward in the frames. Pumpkins, marrows, and mellons are also up over a few acres. Tomatoes have also been transplanted and the earliest ones are nearly a foot high. We saw also broad beans out in full flower-

The garden is undoubtedly a useful object lesson and one that is well worth a visit. We notice tha£ Mr Tos finds the Planet Jr. horse implement of great use as well as the large seed sower, which he says does the work of six men. He also uses the Syracuse plough which he likes very much being light and easy to handle. This garden assists in keeping the people ot the Empire city in health, adds considerably to the revenue to the railway and is of much value to the town, and we wish the plucky owner large crops with good prices.