FARM AND GARDEN. By S.J.

Waikato Times, Volume XV, Issue 1273, 26 August 1880, Page 2

FARM AND GARDEN. By S.J.

The Farm. ! Farmers should be now busy about getting in their crops. All land inclined to wet should be drained at once, as it requires a little time to dry before the plough can be set to work. Oits and spring wheat are be>t in duiing this month. If left veiy much later (o.its especially) are more li.iblo to be attacked by the caterpillars. Therefore early sowing for all cerialsi is be-t. lrmd intruded for potatoes should now be looked a'ter; see that it is w^ll cleaned and dry 16 to be manured by far my«.rd r* anuve, it will have to be carted on the ground at once, so that the rain may wa^h it into the f>oil and {when the plough comes it 1 ivs more evenly on the land, and is then better turnod under. Some famers advocate the alo mining of grass land betore planting ; but treatment of this sort depends greatly on the nature of the soil. If light, potatoes are better under the grass, but heavy land is better skimmed some time before planting. S^e that all fences are trimmed, and thorns intended to b j laid should be done at once, if left much later they will have begun to hhoot. and all trees have a great objoofciou to the kuife when they are getting iuto leaf.

The Garden. Mo>t of tli3 ])l inking ami pnning .should be done by the end of this month, srvv onions for nniu cops if 1 md is light aud dry, Imt on c >ld and heavy soils it, is better to wait until the middle of next month. Plart beans. .Sow peas iv s ieesssion as they aro likely to be wanted. Raddish, lettuce, leeks, spinage, pa'saip, parley, carrots, turnips, if lan.l is suitable and weather finu. If favourable weather, grafting may be b"gun at t C olo^e of tlie mouth, ,sho very weather i» preferable, snv haws, pips, and frait kernels. Plant fru t trees, shrubs ; pear plum, peu-li, and other stocks for ne\^ yea>'\» grafting, sjo that vines are })ro t >erly ciu'l ne-itly secure. Finish pointing stiiiwlniivie*, the ground should be made fine and rich. Wheu planted they ought to be placed from three to five in a clump, each plant a few inches fiom the other. Tho clumps should be iv rows about thrae feet apart, if it were four, it would be so much the better, and at three feet apart in the I rows. To cultivate strawberries in beds, J suffering them to co\er the whole of the ground with their runners and young plants is a stupid method. They will bear a little this way, though not much, and the fruit will be small and of insipid flavor. Neither should the clump be allowed to stand more than two years. Strawberries like good, deep, and rich land. Plant gooseberries, currants and raspberries. It is a good plan to place some litter about the roots, it keeps them moist and clean. If the weather be fine and dry, keep the hoe well at work, beginning early in tho morning, so that the effect of the sun may be felt on the weeds, and all plants do bettei if the earth is kept stirred about them. In this country farmers and gardeners are very much troubled by all kinds of vermin, rats, mice, insects &c., anything that helps to keep them at a distance must be invaluable. One of the latest experiments is sprinkling- the ground with a little chloride of lime and those pests at once desert it. Plants may be protected from insect plagues by brushing thin stems with a solution of this. It has been noticed that a patoh of land which has been treated in this way remains religiously respected by trrubs, while the unprotected beds roundabout are literally devastated. Fruit trees may be guarded frcm the attack of grubs and ants by attaching to their trunks pieces of tow smeared with a mixture of chloride of lime and hogs' lard. As a manure, now is the time to apply salt to land, the spring rains dissolve it and wash it thoroughly into the soil. Dung-haap and all other refuse matter treated to about half a bushel of salt per ton will decompose thoroughly in the course of a few weeks, and be in excellent condition to apply to the land, and the effect is seen very soon.

The Catholic population of the diocese of Uowlbourn has increased from 16,000 to 21,000 in thirteen years.