THE CULTIVATION OF VEGETABLES.

Otago Witness, Issue 2894, 1 September 1909, Page 10

THE CULTIVATION OF VEGETABLES.

Mr A. K. Wilson, of Fairfield Nursery, gave an address on Wednesday, Aug. 25, under the auspices of the Dunedin Horticultural Society in the Technical School, the ' subject being the cultivation of vegetables. Mr J. C. Thomson presided, and there was a large attendance. Mr Wilson referred to the magnitude of the subject, and said the time allotted was scarcely sufficient to do justice to it. The following is a digest of Mr Wilson's paper: " In order to become an efficient cultivator of vegetables, whether on a large or small scale, it is necessary that many details be brought into practice and carried out strictly every year. A good system to work upon, is to make a plan of that portion of the ground which is to be devoted to vegetable culture, and the name of the various crops that are to be cultivated marked plainly on each individual plot. i The advantage of this system is that it is then easy to prepare each piece of ground so as to suit the requirements of the individual crop, and to carry out a successful rotation of crops. The varieties to be grown require careful selection, and it is I imperative that the best of everything be grown, as the inferior sorts-require as much attention, if not more, than the superior varieties, I advocate that good- standard varieties' b»- grown for main etops; with ■ a> few novelties included, which afford' opportunity to compare with the older kinds. | The preparation of the ground is of very I great importance,,, and the season to do this* i work must, be determined by the- nature of I the soil and the v &tate of the weather. Heavy ground should be left until the spring if possible-. Light., ground can be worked in the autumn or early winter with advantage. I strongly advise deep trenching for vegetable cultivation, bringing the bottom spit to the si'iface, thougn many differ in this respect. The soil ought to be worked from 2£ft to 4ft deep. Ridge trenching is a good method of working heavy soils, and gives the weather greater opportunity of penetrating further than the usual way. Manuring must be exercised with much discretion. Many crops will assimilate almost any quantity of manure, while others are injured by its presence in the soil. The application of lime, aoot, and wood ashes will often put new life into ground that has been worked out with continual cropping, and will help at the same time to destroy any insect pests which may be present there. Seed-sow-ng requires a good deal of consideration, as one may easily sow seeds too early, and it is probable they will not germinal e freely. In many instances the ground is in too wet a condition, and therefore the seeds decay. Again, on? must endeavour to piolong the "season of all important vegetable crops over as long: a period as possible. The grower should always aim afc having a rotation of crops — * that is, not to grow any two crops of a similar' nature two years in succession on the same piece of ground. Beet, carrots, and parsnips are examples. The soil becomes exhausted if the same crops are grown in the same piece of ground year after year. Deep-rooted vegetables derive their nourisbmoQt from different ■ depths of x »soiJ» and mxetT- crops as beet,, parsnip, carrot, and safeffy' should fee followed by cauliflower, lettuce, cabbage, turnip, or spinach. If a thorough system of rotation be carried out strictly it is really unnecessary to applj manure to every ciop. Of course, such crops as onions, spinach, and such-like cannot have the ground too rich." The paper

then went on to deal with the cultivation of a variety of vegetables. The raising of onions under ijlass had many advantages, and the seed should be sown in well-drained boxes about the end of July or beginning of August, a gentie heat being required. If pricked out into shallow boxes the plants soon became strong, and better plants were obtained. In planting out the ground required to be trampled firm with the feet, provided the soil wa3 not in a wet condition. The rows should be 18in apart, and 6in should separate the plants, which should i be dusted with soot a week or 10 days- after ■ planting. Copious supplies of liquid manure j every alternate watering induced strong and rapid growth. An important point in growing celery was to prevent a check in its growth. The seed should be sown in shallow bo\es in a gentle heat in October, and care should be taken not to sow the seed too thidkly. The plants should be pricked out singly, and kept close for a few days until they were established in the new compost. The trenches should be prepared several weeks beforehand, and there i was little advantage in having them too | deep. All that was required was enough ■ spacer for the reception of water. The soil i should be made firm round each plant, and there should be a dusting with fresh soot once a *week- -in the" evening or early morn-. ing. The plants should not be permitted to suffer from drought at any time. Leeks.-, required very similar -fcreatsyent. To'havw an early crop of Brussels sprouts - a little i seed eoiild - be. raised < in. a frame and the : plants' pricked oirt when -fit for handling, j The crop did. best in a well-exposed piece? ! o£ ground, which had been well prepared, i during the winter. -, Parsnip seed migKfc-be 111 1 sowa tbia month or the beginning of Sep- ! tember, and to' 1 Ret good specimens ~tne-1 plant 3 must be holed:— that was by making i a hole with a dibble 3£ft long, and filling it with a good .compost free' from rough material. A few seeds should be sown on the top of the hole, and thinned out to one plant when the plants were fife for handfine-. The main crop should be sown in drills 15in apart and thinned out to oin ber tween the plants. Carrots; and beet required to be treated in a similar manner, but a shallow hole would meet requirements. Thinning must be attended to as soon as the plants were large enough to i handle. Mr Wilson also, briefly referred ' to* the raising of peas, broad beans, French beans, asparagus, tomatoes, etc. A discussion followed, and Mr Wilson was accorded a hearty vote of thanks for his "paper. '