SUMMER VEGETABLES

Wairarapa Times-Age, 22 September 1938, Page 4

SUMMER VEGETABLES

KEEP THE KITCHEN SUPPLIED. From now on every effort should be made by successional sowing and plantings to make the vegetable garden fill its purpose with a supply of vegetables sufficient to keep the kitchen well supplied. What should be grown and how much are matters for the owner to decide, but in any case make the vegetable garden supply you with those varieties you most appreciate and enjoy. The small garden is not large enough to give an all-the-year-round supply, but by judicious planting it is marvellous what can be obtained from a small area. First essential is the preparation of the ground, and nothing especially in the vegetable garden can equal cultivation. Probably the first crop to receive attention is. a few early potatoes. Main crop potatoes are in many cases not favoured, for to get sufficient for a year’s supply takes too much ground, and in any case potatoes grown about Auckland are difficult to keep in good condition. Fresh stable manure should not be used , but this will not interest many gardeners, for stable manure has long since ceased to be a factor in vegetable growing. The ground for potatoes must be thoroughly worked until there are no lumps and the whole body of soil is almost like oatmeal or as near to this condition as possible. The seed should be sprouted, and all seed showing signs of disease or threadlike shoots, this latter a sign of virus infection, should be discarded. The" seed can be cut, and although there is not much advantage in cutting very small seed, the average seed tuber can be cut, leaving two or three strong sprouts to each piece, and if there is ' any advantage it is certainly on the , side of cut seed. Draw out shallow drills, not more ‘ than six inches deep, and after planting , the tubers draw the soil over- them; this will form a furrow between the . rows, and the next earthing will give a ( still deeper furrow. As regards manure, ,

use a proprietary potato manure, or the following will give good results: — Superphosphate, 3 parts; sulphate of potash, 2 parts; sulphate of ammonia, 2 parts. It is best to scatter the manure along the row before drawing the drills. The process of opening the drills and covering the tubers will incorporate the manure with the soil. Use the manure at the rate of one ounce per yard run of rpw, applying a somewhat similar quantity alongside the rows when the plants are a few inches high and before they are earthed up. To keep up a succession of peas, sowings should be made at reasonable intervals, and in such quantities as will meet requirements. As soon as the first sowings show above the ground a second sowing should be made; if this method is adopted a succession of crops is easily maintained. Raising of early crops is always precarious, as there is the Slug and bird nuisance to contend with, ;

as well as cold, ungenial weather. For this reason every means should be taken to protect the crops from their ravages. As frequently stated, there are few better methods of protecting 'the seed or plants from the birds than by stretching double rows of black cotton along the rows, keeping it tvzo or three inches above the soil. For slugs a little soot and lime occasionally sown along the rows not only protects the crop, but acts as a fertiliser and assistsgrowth. Much, too, can be done in keeping slugs and snails in subjection by keeping the crops free from weeds and by frequently stirring the soil, the latter especially being ' essential if healthy growth is to be maintained. Sowing may be made of most varieties during the present month—onions, carrots, parsnips, beet, turnips, broad beans, spinach, lettuce, cabbage, radish, mustard, cress, parsley and others.