Gardening Notes.

Wairarapa Daily Times, Volume IX, Issue 276, 10 December 1887, Page 2

Gardening Notes.

Kitchen Garden. Many principal crops come in this month, and, in many cases, show the folly of cropping so abundantly in the early spring. Gardeners who have worked industriously in the spring now find green peas, cabbages, beans, turnips, etc., coming in all at. once, and often there is not a single patch of land available for successional planting. Those who have the ground to spare should remember the dearth of vegetables in Masterton during the last six months, when a single cabbage cost eightpence, and endeavor to provide a supply of greenstuff during the autumn and winter months: particularly let it be borne in mind that we -have long, cold springs, in which the weather is exceedingly variable and most ingenial and vegetation makes very slow progress indeed; it is then that rootcr'op and brassica comes iu so useful; then that Brussels sprouts, kali, and broccli yield a succession of sweet, wholesome sprouts, that grow in the coldest weather, and form the principal supply from June till November. We should now look forward to that time and be well prepared for it, in that available space should have been left, in which a plentiful supply of the above named can be grown. Ground that has been lying fallow since the winter can be turned now to good account; and be it remembered that fifty firm, stocky plants of broccoli will yield a better supply than a hundred plants that have been drawn up between other crops, or been crowded. Gathering Peas and Beans.—All pods should be gathered when fit for use. If allowed to get old a double injury is done—the plants are prematurely exhausted aud the produce is unusable.

Sowing Poas.-Where late peas must bo had, no time should be lost in sowing. Sow early and second early kinds only now. If dry, water the drills just previous to sowing. Tomatoes. -Keep these lied to walls or stakes. Train up the leaders, and rub off all small shoots which appear on the main stems. wlien quite small. Either mulch or keep an inch of loose soil over the roots by hoeing. French. .Beans.-rSow now iu a sheltered position; earth up successional crop.

Broad Beans,—Top theso as soon as the flowers expand, the pods will fill quioker. Sometimes the black fly attacks the plants; the topping process gets rid of the fly. Broccoli.—Dofer not later than the middle of this month the final sowing of late sorts. Walcheren sown now will very likoly come in during the winter. Plant out those that are ready, and never allow them to draw up in the seed-bed, but prick them out temporarily—they will pay for it. Cabbage and Cauliflower should also be planted out when strong enough. The latter will prove very useful in February and March. A succession of these is an important matter. Turnips.-Sow a good breadth of these—they will come in well and be very useful in the autumn. Sow immediately after rain, pr,.if the ground is light, immediately after digging. They should be well trod in, but finished off with the rake.

Lettuce.—Sow now in a shady situation, but plant in an opeu one.. It is necessary to sow often to insure a succession. Water the ground thoroughly or not at all; surface watering is yery injurious.

Winter Greeus.-Plaut full crops of these as opportunity offers,

WPR^IS.iipELBaNE"? Beorle liqt acquainted with the forms of the Resident Magistrate's Court, often wonder why some cases take so long to settle, when there really appears to be nothing important in them. As a rule, it is owing to the desire on«tlie piths oqunsei tp "draw" the witness, but occasionally there is such a thing as a " bluffing" witness, who gives no end ef trouble. These witnesses take a delight in oheeking their interrogators, appealing occasionally to the Bench for protection, and wink knowingly to their friends among the ; '•' audience," when they have scored a point. Such a witness stepped into the box, during a "horsey" case on Tuesday last in the Mastertoh E.M. Court, when something like the following bandying took place over the whereabouts of a certain horse:— 1 Where is Steelbohe now ?' ' Lcan't; tell you where he is just this moment.' 'Whew was he yesterday?'- ■> Where waswljo?'; '.Wh'pwasSteelhono?' f Qh I you. mean whore was the horse]

want to.Jmow for?' my ' j; question, sir \' > Oh, he's in Welling|toil,' I believe.' 'Who took him ■; there ?' ; What ? the horse'?' .' Who I took the horse to Wellington?' 'My son' , j' How old is your son ?!■ ' About six- g i teen. 1 ' 'Where did he fetch the horse W from?' 'Where did who fetch the ; horse from V ' Your son; where was the horse before it was taken to- Wei- " lington ?'•' At the Hutt.'' Did you pay for the stabling and board bill at the hotel before" you took it away ?"What do you mean? What do you £jfcji anyhow ? Did I pay for the stdbling before I took it away ? Did I not pay it! That's a pretty question I must say.'' I have a telegram here,' said the ' solicitor,' which says you left suddenly - without paying your bill. Will you deny it?' 'Oh, so you've been telegraphing about my business, have you? Nice goings on anyhow.' 'Did ' you leave the hotel without paying up? 1 'Enough to make a man leave without paying. Why, you would havo left withoutpayingif you only had anliour arid a half.to catch the steamboat in Wellington from the Hutt. Why the landlord has got £lO worth of my things in his possession and I suppose I owe him about 255. Did I leave without paying, indeed,' etc., etc.