VEGETABLE CULTURE.

Manawatu Herald, Volume L, Issue 3995, 10 September 1929, Page 4

VEGETABLE CULTURE.

DON’jTS FOR AMATEURS. In the course of an interesting address on the vegetable garden and its numerous products, given to the Workers’ Educational Association at the Wellington Trades Hall by Mr. M. Davey, of the Horticultural ’Division of the Department of Agriculture, ( the speaker specially commended to his audience the following advice given by Sinclair in his excellent book on “Gardening in New Zealand Don’t bring crude sub-soil to the surface and expect to grow good cgops in it. Don’t make the ground fine on top during winter digging; leave it rough so that the weather can pulverise and sweeten it.

Don’t dig land when it is very wet from recent rain.

Don’t apply- manure and lime to the land at the same time, or much of the virtue of the manure will be lost.

Don’t let drops of the same class follow one another in the- same soil.

Don’t sow seeds in hard or dry soil, or when it is wet and sticky. Don’t sow seed too thickly, as this induces a spindly habit. Don’t sow tender subjects, such as dwarf and runner beans, mar-, rows, and pumpkins until danger of late frosts is past. Don’t water a little and often, but give a good soaking when necessary.

Don’t neglect the use of the Dutch hoe during a period of dry weather; it acts as a good conserver of moisture.

Don’t forget to earth up vegetables as they become, fit, as this operation is of great assistance to growth. Don’t forget to lift and rest rhubarb and sea kale before introducing them into heht for forcing. Don’t cut asparagus too late in the season, or the following year’s crop will be impaired. Don’t neglect to give asparari gus plenty of water and liquid manure during the growing season. Don’t plant asparagus roots till the sap is flowing in September if you want to have vigorous plants. Don’t sow root crops where green manure has been dug in. Don’t neglect to thin out root crops as soon as they are fit to handle. Don’t forget to water celery thoroughly well before and after it is planted. Don’t leave old cauliflower or broccoli stumps in the ground after the heads are cut; they impoverish the soil. Don’t leave old leaves on cabbage stumps after the heads are cut, especially when the diamondback moth is about. Don’t forget that leeks are gross feeders, and the ground can hardly be over-manured foil’ them. Don’t forget to give early potatoes some protection from late frosts. Don’t neglect the training of to'mato plants, as this goes a long way towards getting larger and finer fruit. Don’t forget that flie tomato is a. lover of potash, and potash in some form should be supplied to the plants. - Don’t leave garden refuse about to harbour snafis, slugs, and other pests. Put it in a heap and mix lime with it; it- makes a valuable manure. Don’t forget that prevention is better than cure in dealing with blights, but take defensive measures as soon as they appear.