FARMER'S AND GARDENER'S CALENDAR FOE NOVEMBER.

Southland Times, Issue 753, 22 November 1867, Page 2

FARMER'S AND GARDENER'S CALENDAR FOE NOVEMBER.

Mean temp. 59o — corresponds to May i% England, mean temp. 690. Thb Fabm. — Finish planting potatoes early in the month ; cut them into sets, dust with lime, and plant immediately in drills twenty-eight inches apart and at one foot distances. Finish sowing mangold-wurzel. This crop has been tried by many for the last two seasons since the turnip crop has suffered by the aphis, as a substitute for turnips, but with indifferent success, but, with a little more experience in their culture, they will answer quite as well as turnips. Fortunately, the turnip crop was comparatively free from blight last season, but as Swede turnips are most liable to be destroyed, it would be prudent to avoid growing them for some time, until the blight disappears. Purple and green top yellow turnips are little inferior, and they, with some earlier varieties, should be put in plentifully in the course of the month, in land thoroughly pulverised and well manured. On the plains, the Aberdeen often grow too large and get Boft in the heart, whereas the larger the Swede the more solid and leBS watery. A very certain method of securing a rich sole of grass is to put it in alone, during this or next month, in l*nd that has been ploughed in winter and manured. Plough lightly, give a full harrowing till quite smooth on the surface, roll, and then sow the grass seeds, giving a liberal allowance of clover, then cover with a brush harrow or a very light harrow for the purpose, it will spring up rapidly, and two cuttings may be had, while in autumn the result will be a close clovery sole that will stand for many years. Kitchen Gabden. — With this month we arrive at the commencement of summer. In the kitchen garden earth up pease and beans, likewise cabbages ; stake pease, for they bear much better. Pease may still be sown for succession. Plant out vegetable marrows, ridge cucumbers, tomatoes, and capsicums — neither of those vegetables will succeed if exposed to cutting winds. French beans may now be planted with safety ; the best sorts are the early dunn, the negro and the early speckled. Scarlet and white Dutch runners should now be planted. Full crops of turnips may be sown for autumn and winter use, also red beet, and white or silver beat as a substitute for spinach. Continue successional sowings of radish, mustard, cress, lettuce. Plant any of the sorts of cabbage or broccoli upon vacant ground, and keep the hoe going and all crops free from weeds. Cucumbers and melons in frames should be earthed up, and well supplied with water in dry weather. The celery sown in the nursery bed should now be exposed to the open air to harden, but shaded from the mid-day sun and well supplied with, water, and in about a week or ten days should be planted in a nursery bed of light rich soil, about one or two inches apart, and well watered and shaded till they strike root. Fbtjit and Fioweb Gabden. — In the fruit garden continue to remove all useless and misplaced shoots from peaches, nectarines, and apricots. Grape vines will now be showing where their bunches of grapes are coming, and every shoot not wanted 9hould be taken out, and those left should be pinched or cut off one joint above the fruit ; every shoot so treated will throw out side shoots, called laterals ; these in their turn must be taken off one joint from the main shoot, and as they continue to grow shorten to one joint each time throughout the whole season. Should . the weather prove dry strawberries will require watering to enable their fruit to set and swell oft In the flower garden all pot plants that have been preserved throughout the winter may be planted out with safety, as all danger" of frost may be considered past. Balsams and other tender annuals may also be sown, and hardy ones thinned out, as they grow stronger and flower better for it. Continue to stake and tie everything requiring it, as neatness and cleanliness should be the order of the day.