i873.] 



CALENDAR. 



185 



not creditable. Sowings of Stone, 

 Strapleaf, and other Tiiruips should 

 now be made for winter supplies ; Po- 

 tato-ground levelled will suit them well. 

 All the main crops of the Brassica tribe 

 should now be well established, and the 

 hoe or prong should be used freely 

 among them as long as there is room 

 to work them. If any are showing 

 symptoms of growing too rank, they 

 might be well trodden down, and the 

 hoe used for surface -stirring after- 

 wards. This is a good time to make a 

 full sowing of Cabbage-seed ; good sorts 

 should be chosen which are not liable 

 to run to seed : Eed Dutch may also 

 be sown as required. A good store of 

 Cabbage, placed a few inches apart on 

 a nice border, to stand through the 

 winter, are valuable for planting in 

 spring — the middle of July being the 

 season in the north for the main sow- 

 ing, and three weeks later in the 

 south ; but a second or even a third lot 

 will be of good service. When seeds 

 are sown, it may be necessary to tho- 

 roughly soak the ground beforehand, 

 say the night before, then sow next 

 morning. Cauliflower -seed may be 

 sown from the first week of the month 

 to the third week. Three successions 

 can be secured — first, for growing under 

 haudlights, plant protectors, &c. ; sec- 

 ond, to be pricked out in frames or potted 

 into good-sized pots to prevent them 

 being pot-bound ; third, smaller plants 

 pricked out on a sheltered border or 

 ridge. Early Horn Carrots, Eadishes of 

 all sorts. Spinach (prickly and round), 

 stand the winter well. Lettuce and 

 Endive may be so-sati in quantity: plant 

 out plenty of the latter for main autumn 

 and early winter crops. Give abundance 

 of water to Celery — a good mulching 

 may do much to keep out drought and 

 help the plants. If late crops are still 

 to be planted out, the ground for them 

 should be well soaked with water 

 twelve or fifteen hours before planting 

 is done, and all the roots the plants 

 can carry should be lifted. These late 

 plantations are often of great value. 

 Earth up closely the Celery which is 

 now wanted for use : when it is wanted 

 thus early, as is the case in many 



places, it should be brought forward in 

 frames without check, when shade 

 can do much to blanch it. The frames 

 after middle of July can be at liberty 

 for other things. Late crops of Celery 

 should not be earthed up too early, 

 but a little soil drawn from the ridges 

 over the surface of roots will do much 

 to keep out drought, the most formid- 

 able enemy of Celery. Thin Parsley, 

 and plant out the thinnings for winter 

 supplies. A ridged or sheltered space 

 should be chosen to plant out a portion 

 for protecting during severe weather. 

 Keep Scarlet-runners well topped back; 

 take off any pods which are running 

 to seed, unless seed be wanted. This 

 is now a good time to make a sow- 

 ing of French Beans, to be covered 

 by a frame in autumn. Portable plant- 

 protectors are of great value for moving 

 from one crop to another. Pits and 

 frames emptied of Cucumbers, Toma- 

 toes, Capsicums, &c., should not remain 

 idle, nowthat the most of these crops are 

 plentiful : outside plantations of French 

 Beans or late Cucumbers in the struc- 

 tures might keep up supplies nearly to 

 the end of the year. If weather should 

 be dry, it may be necessary to mulch 

 Peas : grass mowings do well for this 

 purpose, but when full of weeds they 

 are objectionable. Salads of all kinds 

 should be kept up in abundance by 

 frequent sowings. Tomatoes should 

 be thinned, tojjped, and watered ; keep 

 them secm-e against wind. Vegetable 

 Marrows and ridge Cucumbers should 

 be kept regulated and thinned ; too 

 many fruit should not be allowed to 

 grow on them. A framework made 

 over a portion, and covered with mats 

 at night, might keep these in full vigour 

 much later in the season than they 

 might if exposed to early frost. Gar- 

 dens are now generally less infested 

 with weeds than earlier in the season, 

 and where labour power is sufficient, 

 they should now be very orderly 

 and clean : seeding of weeds should 

 not be tolerated, if possible. It is 

 much easier to advise than carry out 

 in practice : with plenty of labour at 

 command, keeping and dressing is very 

 simple. M. T. 



FORCING DEPARTMENT. 



Pines. — Queens intended to supply 

 ripe fruit next May ought to have their 

 pots well filled with roots and their 



growth well matured by the end of 

 the month. Avoid an over-abundant 

 supply of water and air-moisture in 



