FARM AND GARDEN. FOR APRIL. (From Chapman's New Zealand Almanac.)

Waikato Times, Volume VIII, Issue 448, 1 April 1875, Page 2

FARM AND GARDEN. FOR APRIL. (From Chapman's New Zealand Almanac. )

Farm. — This month generally fine weather, with occassional showers. Continue to sow oats for green food — about three bushels to the acre ; this may be grazed or cut by the end of September or October. During wet winter months cattle should not be allowed on young grass. Land for wheat should now be well ploughed and harrowed ; potato land is preferable, if it has been well wrought and manured for potatoes ; in breaking up land, either new or old, remember that land broken up during dry weather will grow the best crop. If September lambs will be soon enough for the farm, the rams should be with the ewes this month. Sow cabbage, Swedish turnips, mangolds and early stone turnips, to be eaten off with sheep in spring. Sow winter vetches with oats, as'oats will keep them off the ground. Burning ofl" for the season must be finished end of this month. Sow main crop of grass, but if the land has been fallowed and cleared of weeds and insects, last month , would suit better. Sow rape with grass seed, as the leu yes spread and assist to keep ground moist and afford shelter to young clover ; four to six pounds of rape j to the acre — but without sheep the rape would not be serviceable. i Kitchen Garden.— ln favourable weather plant [out lettuce, cabbage, cauliflowr, savoy, celery, for j spring use. Sow turnip, carrot, radish, for succession. Tie up endive for blanching, plant out a few more from seed bed ; mould up broccoli, cabbage, and rill plants th,it require it. Earth up celery ; let the leaves be dry before putting earth to it ; the same will apply to leeks ; expose fruit of tomato to the sun and light, by putting stakes uuder the plants and shortening son-e of the shoots ; they fruit well when planted against a close fence and trained against it ; pumpkins, expose the fruit and thin out where too^ thick ; cucumbers almost over. Gather late crops of potatoes and onions ; clear and dig vacant ground ; sow with oats for spring use. Fruit Garden. — Gather apples and pears daily ; ■take care of choice sorts, do not bruise kite keeping ones, when they part freely from the stems they are ready; if gathered before, they wUl*hiiv«l; ug© them as carefully as egg*, and do not h«ap too many together or the upper ones will bruise the under ones. Mark t*ees, worthleti aorta to be repUoed at the proper seacon. Gather melons as tliey part from the bine ; pumpkins and vegetable marrow, piemelon, tpmato, oLUms, Cape gooseberries, and tigs. Flower Garden.—Cut back and remove the flower .'items, and if moderate weather prevail tljey will flower Again towards the middle of next mpnth, &* move And root out a&x**ais Hooking shabby, keep a few plants in stgft) to fill up vacancies, ■ Chrvsw thenrums in flo.Wjer, water with liquid manure Jo in. i sure jlargd floors, ft » ,up if necessary ; peg down on I Hirt <T fill ii! U n.1.1y lllHtfli iit tlin I .ii.i 11 (-fr „f +U n