THE VEGETABLE GARDEN.

Shannon News, 20 February 1923, Page 3

THE VEGETABLE GARDEN.

Silver beet is one of the best plants to have as a stand-by for the winter, and seed sown now in good rich soil will come on fast enough to v give a good crop for the winter months. It will not do any good if it is planted too closely together. .The rows should be at least eighteen inches apart and the plants spaced out to a loot asunder. Even if there is too much of it for household use, most g&rdeners keep a few fowls, and it is an excellent thing to mix up with their foou. Choped up green it is said to be worth at least its own weight of other food when made up in the mash. Potatoes are very much blighted this year, and as the plants have got it badly now, spraying will not be of much use. The next best thing to do with tho tops of those that are nearly ready to dig is to cut them off level with the ground. It will not save them altogether, but it will save some of them. Tomatoes in some cases are past saving, anything at all from, but if the diseased fruits are picked off the plants and the rest given a good spraying with Bordeaux, eome of them at least may be all right; anyhow it in: worth trying. It is very important that all beans and peas should be well picked at this time of the year, as .if they begin to grow hard seeds their period of fruiting will soon be passed. In many cases onions are a failure .this season, and any small crop? that you rnay have should be looked after as if they were gold. We were shown a, very fine croc of this vegetable the other day, which was nearly ready for pulling. The owner said lu had sprayed them four times with lime sulphur, as he thought that-it might.' possibly keep away mildew, which hid attacked his neighbour's plants. Shal lots should also be carefully harvested, as they make an excellent substitute for the onions .that have been lost. spinach is a vegetable that is much neglected. This can lo sown now in vacant ground whiti Ijas had a very liberal'supply of manure worked into it. It is useless trv- ! ing to* grow it in poor soil or soil th;ii has been worked out. The greatest good is to be got from this plant when the leaves can be picked quite fresh and used straight away; it is no good when it has to be picked several days before it is wanted.—Palmerston Stun., dard. ' : s .■"