THE GARDEN WEEK BY WEEK 



March have at least a foot — more if they are transplanted from 

 16-31 boxes. The ground must be made quite hard after sowing. 



Parsnips. — The Parsnip crop requires a friable soil, 

 not recently manured. The seed may be sown an inch 

 deep in drills eighteen inches apart, and the plants 

 thinned to nine inches. The seed is light and flaky, 

 so that it is easily blown about. For this reason the 

 grower must either avoid sowing on a windy day or mix 

 the seed with soil before scattering it in the drills. 

 Some growers economise seed by sowing a cluster of 

 three seeds at every nine inches of drill, and thinning 

 the resulting plants down to one. Tender and True is 

 a splendid variety. 



Peas. — Choice Marrowfat Peas may be sown now 

 for yielding dehcious dishes at the end of June and 

 early in July. The best of soil should be allotted to 

 this important crop — soil that has been bastard-trenched 

 or deeply dug and manured liberally. I say " has 

 been," but it is never too late to improve soil, and rather 

 than sow in thin, poor land by all means set to work 

 now. As a matter of fact, many excellent gardeners 

 consider that spring is the best time to prepare heavy, 

 damp land. The surface soil should be crumbled, and 

 wide drills drawn three inches deep. As mentioned in 

 a previous chapter, it is wise to protect the seed from 

 vermin by moistening it in paraffin oil previous to 

 sowing. If trouble should occur in spite of that, bait 

 some traps with Peas strung on wire, and place them 

 about the rows, as the losses are probably due to field 

 mice. Birds can be kept away by black threads or 

 fish netting. Centenary, Duke of York, Stratagem, 

 Duke of Albany, and Senator are all good varieties. 

 Any may be chosen. Pea sticks should be ordered 

 wherewith to support the plants later on. 

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