CALENDER FOR MARCH.

Southland Times, Volume III, Issue 224, 5 March 1866, Page 3

CALENDER FOR MARCH.

Mean temp. 60 ° — corresponds to September in JEnglandfinean temp. 50 ° Kitchen Garden. — With this month wearriveat what may be called the turning point in horticulture, or perhaps more properly the turning point of the season, and a great deal may be done in this country in the way of planting, which we dare not even thinlc of in England, even under skilful superintendance. In the kitchen garden no time should be lost in getting in main crops of every kind of winter vegetables. A final and full crop of celery should be now plauted on the double bed system. Earth up advancing crops of celery, go over them first by hand, that is, gather up each plant in the left hand, and with the right, or what is better a garden trowel, draw some earth quite close round it, and when you have gone over the whole bed, take the spade and fill up with mould as high as required ; by no means tie the plants, as, if the material used does not rot in time to allow the heart to escape from its prison, it will burst through the side and the crop is spoiled ; but if compelled by circumstances to tie them, use strips of paper, which will giye way as soon as wetted through, and the sooner the better. Continue to clear ground as fast as summer crops give way, and dig aud manure as directed last month ; fill up all vacancies with such plants as may be required for supply, either of broccoli or any of the cabbage tribe, or winter spinach, which may be still sown with success. About the middle of the monq.h make final sowings of cauliflowers, welchern broccoli, early York Enfield market, Or any of the cabbage tribe, to stand in the seed beds till spring. Endive will require to be tied up to the branch, and a full crop of this delicate and wholesome esculent should now •be planted. Sow suecessional crops of radishes, mustard and cress, also lettuce. Turnips, if omitted last month, should be sown the first week in this ; the white stone turnip is the best for this sowing, the sis. week or early Dutch is also good. Onions, where the practice of autumn sowing is preferred, the first, or not later than the second week in this month should be chosen for the operation, the ground for this crop should be well manured and dug deep, and well trod before sowing the seed ; level and break the surface with the rake, then draw drills eight inches apart, in which sow the seed rather thick, and all that is not wanted will be valuable in the springfor drawing young. Potato onions should also now be planted. Fruit and Flower Garden. — In the fruit garden apples will be beginning to ripen, which can be told by taking one in the hand and turning it gently upwards ; if it parts freely from the tree it is ripe, aud the crop is fit to gather, which should be done with great care so as not to bruise them. New strawberry beds should be made low, and they will produce fruit nest summer, Take the young plants that were layered as directed in January, folowing two feet row from row, and one not plant from plant. The best sorts at present known are the black prince Keen's seedling, and British queen. Should the weather prove dry the plants must be supplied with water till they takp root, or if the supply of water run short, it is better to defor planting till rain falls ; a row of turnip radish, mustard, or cress, may be planted between each row, but nothing of stronger growth, which would rob the plants of the nutriment contained in the soil. Look over all trained trees, and see that none are loose so as to get broken by the winds at this season. Grape vines, if any, should now have the final stopping of their laterals, and just so many of their leaves thinned out as will allow the sun's rays to reflect freely on the wall or fence they may be growing against ; this will greatly accelerate the ripening and flavouring of the fruit. (For general treatment see November.)