318 Journal of Agriculture, Yictoria. [10 May, 1919. 



Vegetable Garden. 



Weeds must be kept down in the vegetable garden. Weeds are 

 generally free growing at this season ; their growth is very insidious, and 

 they will crowd out the young seedlings or plants in a very quick time. 

 Hoeing and hand weeding must be resorted to, preferably hoeing. The 

 frequent use of the hoe in winter time is of much benefit in the vegetable 

 garden. A varied assortment of crops is now being produced; and if 

 these can be kept growing much better crops will result. The soil 

 quickly stagnates in the winter, and the only way to prevent this is to 

 keep the surface stirred. Thus, a double service is performed with the 

 aid of the hoe. 



The application of lime is of great necessity at this season. In addi- 

 tion to amending unhealthy and unsuitable soil conditions, lime is par- 

 ticularly useful as au insecticide. It assists in destroying in immense 

 numbers both eggs and insects that would breed and live in the ground 

 ready to do damage to all classes of vegetable crops. Therefore, 

 wherever possible, the soil should receive an application of lime. The 

 garden should, as well, be manured with stable manure, but not for 

 some weeks after the lime application. 



Cabbage and cauliflower plants may be planted out; and seeds of 

 parsnips, carrots, onions, peas, and broad beans may be sown. 



Flower Garden. 



The whole flower section should now be thoroughly dug over. All 

 beds should be cleaned up, top-dressed with manure, and well dug. The 

 light rubbish, such as foliage, twiggy growths, weeds, &c., may all be 

 dug in, and they will thus form a useful addition to the soil. These 

 should never be wasted. Only the coarser and stouter growths should 

 be carted away for burning, and then the ashes may be used as manure. 

 No part, whatever, of garden rubbish or litter need be wasted. In one 

 form or another it should be replaced in the soil. 



May is a good month for establishing new gardens, and for planting 

 out. All deciduous plants and shrubs may now be planted. It is not 

 necessary to dig a deep hole for planting. A hole in which the roots 

 of the plant can be comfortably arranged, without crowding or cramp- 

 ing, will be quite suflScient for the purpose. 



Continue to sow seeds of hardy annuals, including sweet peas, 

 although the main crop of sweet peas should by this time be well above 

 ground. Where there has been any overplanting, the young plants will 

 readily stand transplanting, and this will greatly assist those that are 

 to remain. Annuals should not be crowded in the beds. They require 

 ample room for suitable development, and thus the seeds should be 

 sown thinly or the plants set out a good distance from each other. 



All herbaceous perennials that have finished blooming may now be 

 cut down. Included amongst these are phlox, delphiniums, &c. If 

 these are to remain in their present situation for another season it is 

 always an advantage to raise them somewhat, by slightly lifting them 

 with a fork, so that too mucli water will not settle around the crowns; 

 they may also be mulched with stable manure, or the manure may be 

 forked into the soil around the crowns. 



