16 VEGETABLE GROWING IN NEW SOUTH WALES. 



are brought near the surface again, or when the conditions become favourable. 

 For this reason it is always well to prepare land for a crop early enough to 

 allow a short fallow before the seed is sown or the seedlings planted out ; the 

 weed seeds brought into favourable surroundings then have time to germinate, 

 and can be killed oft' by shallow surface cultivation before the growth of the 

 vegetablevS makes the destruction of the weeds more difficult. This practice 

 will be found materially to reduce labour during the early growth of the crop. 



Some crops, such as carrots, parsnips, <kc., require a good deal of hand- 

 weeding, but in most cases the cultivation between the rows can be done 

 with a hand cultivator, which is much quicker than hand-hoeing. For 

 other crops, which have more space between the plants in the rows, the 

 weeding can be done by using small pointed hoes. Weeding between 

 plants should be done before the cultivation between 1 the rows, so that 

 the latter operation may loosen the soil that has been compacted by the 

 tramping to and fro, though where weeds have become numerous, the amount 

 of hand- work can be considerably reduced by running the cultivator or hoe 

 along between the rows before hand- weeding between the plants themselves 

 is attempted ; in the last case it will often be advisable to disturb the surface 

 between the rows a second time after the hand-weeding is dne. The best 

 results from weeding are obtained by doing the work on hot sunny days. 



Most weeas are killed by cutting them off just under the surface of the soil, 

 but thoroughly to eradicate some couch grass and sorrel, for instance it is 

 necessary to remove every underground particle, or to cultivate persistently 

 and repeatedly until the roots die of exhaustion. Nut-grass can only be 

 controlled by frequent cultivation. 



Whore irrigation is practised the drains and channels should be kept free 

 from weeds, otherwise the seeds will fall into the water and be distributed 

 over the whole area irrigated. 



The greatest trouble from weed-growth is experienced on the coastal areas 

 of the State, where the conditions are conducive to rapid growth condition^ 

 by the way, that are also most favourable for early crops of vegetables, and 

 for the service of the metropolitan market. 



MANURES AND FERTILISERS. 



Although every attention be given to the working of the soil, it will be 

 found insufficient to make available the large quantities of plant-food required 

 for the production of so many crops in quick succession as the well managed 

 vegetable garden must carry, and fertilisers and manures must therefore be 

 in regular use. On the other hand, however, no amount of manuring will 

 produce good crops if the land is not well tilled. Fertility, indeed, depends 

 on a happy combination of the tsvo factors, and over both the gardener is the 

 final arbiter. 



