THE KITCHEN GARDEN. 



243 



amovmt of protection from such rainfall exists. It 

 is a matter of little imp()rtance what shape they are, 

 providing the material is from two to three feet 

 deep at its central or thickest part. Cover the beds 

 over, when made, with a sufficient depth of litter or 

 straw to keep them quite dry during the six weeks 

 or so in which the spawn is working within them. 



Give air very freely during fine wai-m days to 

 Cucumbers. With the thermometer at 75° Fahr. 

 in the sun, and a warm air, it will be well to raise 

 the sashes high at the back. Keep all the latei-als 

 pinched back at one leaf beyond where fruits show. 

 Sprinkle the plants over with tepid water about 

 3 p.m., shutting the sashes down close, but again 

 giving half an inch of air at the back towards 

 7 p.m. Take this air off about 6 o'clock the next 

 morning for an hour or so ; then commence air- 

 giving for the day, according to its warmth or other- 

 wise. Attend to the Unings of the frames when the 

 crop is frame-grown. About the end of the month 

 it may be necessary to renew the linings either back 

 or front, and in doing so to damp the di'ier mate- 

 rials within them, adding a little fresh fermenting 

 material in process, as a slight bottom heat will be 

 required for some time yet. 



May. 



Sow during the first week in the month Dwarf 

 Kidney Beans, making if possible a small sowing 

 upon a warm smmy -aspect border and a general one 

 in the open quarter. Sow also successional crops of 

 Peas, Broad Beans, Turnips, and all kinds of salad- 

 ing, also a successional sowing of Walcheren Broc- 

 coli, Cauliflower, and Coleworts, of which the 

 Eosette variety is a desirable one. 



The month is at once a busy and a highly im- 

 portant one from a culturist's point of view. The 

 hoe should be freely worked amongst all growing 

 crops, especially those consisting of young seedlings. 

 This is desirable after nice growing showera of rain. 

 In connection with this beneficial practice oi hoe- 

 ing, or soil-stirring, comes the equally important one 

 of crop-thinning, or "setting out," as growers have 

 been wont to describe it. Thus in process of hoeing 

 the young seedling crops of Onions, Turnips, Pars- 

 nips, Carrots, &c., may be rapidly thinned by the 

 intelligent use of this handy tool. It is important 

 to complete this thinning out process as soon as 

 possible after the young seedlings are large enough 

 for the pm-pose, and in doing so use every effort to 

 save the strongest young plants for this purpose. 

 This probably is more important in connection with 

 such root-crops as Carrots, Parsnips, and so on, 

 the strongest young plants upon which possess the 

 most robust under-ground growth. Nevertheless 

 the needful thinning out of Onions, Tm-nips, &c.. 



requires also to be doue when the plants are young, 

 to ob%'iate their being drawn and weakened by too 

 close contact too long a time. When hoeing such 

 crops, do not be satisfied with simply chopping up 

 weeds, or thinning out the seedling plants only, but 

 take cai-e to hoe somewhat deeply, and so move the 

 soil as well as possible all amongst the ci-ops. 



Habitually cold nights with more or less fiost ai-e 

 experienced until the 20th of the month. It will be 

 desirable, therefore, to wait untU such date is past, 

 then to plant out into their summer quartere such 

 plants of the following as have been sown in pots, 

 potted off, and duly hardened in readiness — i.e., 

 Tomatoes, which succeed best against wai-m walls, 

 or fences, Eidge Cucumbera, Vegetable Marrows, 

 Capsicums, Chilis, &c. Take csire to prepare the 

 ground for all of these some time before the time of 

 planting anives. Too frequently this matter is 

 wholly neglected. Should cold winds, &c., prevail, 

 some slight temporary protection may with advan- 

 tage be placed over them. When due prepai-ation 

 as above has not been made, by sowing seeds of 

 Cucumbers and Vegetable MaiTows in pots, seeds of 

 such may be inserted into the prepared spaces about 

 the same date. Make second sowings of Brussels 

 Sprouts, Veitch's Giant Cauliflower, Snow's Winter 

 "Wliite, Grange's and Sprouting Bi-occoli also 

 towards the middle of the month. Such sowings 

 will produce nice thrifty-growing young plants, in 

 readiness for finally transplanting on to such vacant 

 spaces as are formed by the removal of eaiiy summer 

 crops, and they will prove more thrifty than the 

 older ones, should any remain in seed-beds from the 

 earlier sowings. So soon as the young seedling Leeks 

 are large enough, transplant on to deeply enriched 

 ground. Continue to prick out and bring on Celery 

 plants, so as to insure a nice lot of forward ones in 

 readiness for finally planting out anon. 



Do not omit to thoroughly root-water all growing 

 vegetables should the weather prove dry. Good 

 vegetables are only secm-ed by this means, and able 

 culturists make a point of giving all one good root- 

 watering per week during all dry-weather periods. 

 Where this aid is proffered, however, let it be given 

 freely and well, else it will do more harm than good. 



Earth up Potatoes. First of all hoe deeply on both 

 sides of each row, then draw such loosened soil freely 

 up to the sides. Immediatelj- plants from the early 

 sowings of Cabbages, Lettuces, &:c., are lai-ge enougli, 

 thin the largest ones out from amongst their kind 

 and transplant either permanently or in nui-sery 

 beds. TTie chief object in connection with all good 

 vegetable-growing should be to give all a free and 

 uninterrupted growth throughoiit. 



Cucumbers treated £is directed last month will re- 

 quire beyond, during this month, to have a thorough 



