MANAGEMENT OF KITCHEN GARDENS.

New Zealand Times, Volume XXXIII, Issue 5290, 9 March 1878, Page 1 (Supplement)

MANAGEMENT OF KITCHEN GARDENS.

A practice that has become quite colonial consists in the conglomeration of .kitchen garden and orchard, and we have noticed instances of a far more objectionable practice of combinations of ornamental plantations, orchard, and kitchen gardens. The sequel to any of the above is that, in the course of a few years, they are not used for their original purposes. and generally result in a partial or total failure. There is not the slightest objection during the infancy of fruit trees to utilise the spare ground with the growth of vegetables. Neither is there any great tangible objection to plant, as a protection, a belt of trees in proximity to the garden ; but the trees planted should be of those kinds well known for not over-rooting propensities ; otherwise they will resolve themselves into total extractors of all moisture and nutriment that may be put in the land. As a matter of fact the kitchen garden should be as free from trees as possible. Vegetables, as a rule, delight in open situations, and shade, as a rule, is detrimental to the growth of all kinds of culinary vegetables. To all who have given the subject any consideration it must be apparent that all our supposed wornout gardens are attributable to nothing else than to the exhaustive and nutriment-robbing functions of the roots of all trees whatsoever. And we believe that no matter how old a garden may be its vitality is easily kept up, providing it receive its periodical, dressings of manure, and has not to do double and treble duties. Again, it must be apparent that fruit culture and vegetable cultivation can scarcely agree together ; the first requiring but very shallow cultivation, while the latter requires very deep shiftings of the soil. Thus much on that subject. In the way of renovating old gardens, the best method to adopt is to halftrench the land ; thus the soil that in all probability has been the recipient of surplus manure and unused by the roots of vegetables, which generally are only shallow feeders, will bo shifted to the top, and begin, if we may so term it, its period of servitude. This system of renovation will be found without doubt the best, coupled with the good old plan of putting all pieces of ground not required for immediate use into rigdes, thus allowing by such process, which is easily done, aperfectly sweetening and aerification of the soil. Again, however well such land may be supplied with stable manure, we believe that great advantages will be obtained if the ground receive occasionally a good dressing of mediumcrushed bouedust, such material introducing into the soil a chemical product not found in stable manure, or, if found, it is in insufficient quantities to act as a restorative. The proper time to apply either bouedust or guano is when there is a surety of , wet , weather—say, during the autumn, winter, or very early in the spring; the application of either during hot dry weather resolves itself into a mere matter of waste of time and money, moist weather being, in both cases, requisite to develope the bonedust’s and guano’s fertilising pooperties. In these days the introduction into new gardens of all kinds of rooted stock should be attended with the greatest caution. We advise that the roots of all should be - washed before being planted, to free them from hidden enemies in the way of knot grass, sweet allium, sour grass, &c„ pests that, once introduced, can scarcely ever be got rid of. We know of gardens, far away from the recognised habitats of those plants, that are now sad spectacles to behold in the above way. Again, if any of the above is discovered, no neglect should occur in carefully raising it out of the ground, many a gar-den-being saved by the quick discovery and quick eradication of small pieces. The cropping of kitchen gardeens is an all-important feature in their management; and, as a general rule, no plot , of ground should be. cropped twice in succession by the same description of

vegetables. There is a great probability that one genera of ordinary vegetables will leave behind them a certain class of insects ; so of course if the.like or even a different variety be. again placed in such plot of ground, the in-, sects have free play to commence their depredations, whereas if vegetables of a different genera be planted, the great probability is the class of insects will have to seek elsewhere for their proper food, and thus leave the crop unscathed. A certain exhaustive process has. taken place during the . maturing of a crop that can only be replaced by rest and cropping: with other distinct classes of vegetables. Some little difference exists in respect to the proper, description of potatoes to use for sets. Our attention was called .to the fact of a personputting in sets of the Early Hose of the largest possible description, the planter asserting that sets cut at this time of the year, would, rot .in: the ground. We have no doubt they would rot if merely cut and planted. There are, however, two sides to the question! if, the sets are cut and exposed to the sun to dry for aday or so, then they will not rot; also, at this, season of the year, with heavy rains, it is very; injudicious, to plant sets, unless the shoots have begun to grow—a matter of ■ ease, providing the sets are placed in a heap and some litter thrown over to exclude the air.. Not only is this matter applicable to autumn, but , good management prompts the cultivator to adopt it even for spring planting. Anyhow, in no case, if we could help it, would we use ; large sets, medium-sized and well-divided being the best for all purposes. Practically, it is not the quantity ,of shoots from a single set that produces the greatest quantity of potatoes, two or three strong shoots to a set being found the best for reproduction. The use of manures for different crops is a very important feature in the management of the kitchen' garden. It may appear strange, but the ap--plication of manuresmay beabused, certain crops requiring more than others. Thus, many of the. brassica family, such as cabbage, cauliflower, brocbli, Brussels sprouts, savoys, kails, are known as gross feeders, and can scarcely have too much ; while in the same class garden turnips require it but moderately, and if applied in the shape of bouedust so much the better. * Peas again require but moderate supplies, the production of flowers and pods being the re- * quisite instead of a superabundance of stems, and foliage ; and in all cases where stable manure is applied,' it should be in. the form known as decomposed, fresh stable manure being more or less objectionable for supply to ; any kind of vegetable. Perhaps one of the best, though it is rather tedious, is:the application in its liquid form, and adjacent to all ■ manure heaps should be a sunken receptacle ’ for conserving the oozings from: the manure ■ heaps, and even if manure tanks are sunk in the ground, an additional one for receiving the ' surplus liquid from them should be attached.: Wonderful results are obtained ,by supplying! manure iu a liquid state to all growing crops. ! What kind of vegetables to plant may next be considered, and here we may advise for private use not to grow large coarse kinds ; there is nothing gained by growing large stuff, inde-' pendently of the fact that large varieties of all : kinds of vegetables are coarse iu flavor. No • benefits are obtained in the way of quantity, as in most cases weight for weight may be obtained, whether the crop be of the small kinds or large varieties. It should also be borne in mind that small-sized crops arrive quicker at maturity, and thus greater results are obtained in favor, of small kinds of vegetables. The next question in the management of kitchen gardens is the desirableness of having flower borders in them. If a garden is of a limited extent, such may then be admissible, but not otherwise. The borders, in lieu of flowers being planted in them, ought to be strawberry beds, plantations of. herbs; or, if necessary, utilised for saladings, &c., &c. : The edging of the paths again should, in our .estimation, bo; used for something in the culinary or herbal way only, and for which sections for lavender, rosemary, thyme, &c., should be found in every garden, such being extremely useful for domestic purposes. A good ; kitchen garden should consist uf as level a piece of ground as is obtainable, and, if possible, the shape of it should either be a ■ parallelogram or a square, with walks through it of sufficient width to allow a cart to pass along, thus saving a great amount of manual labor in wheeling manure to the various parts of the garden.