THE KITCHEN GARDEN. 



243 



amount of protection from such rainfall exists. It 

 is a matter of little importance 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 sufiScient 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 warm 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 laterals 

 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 linings 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 drier mate- 

 rials within them, adding a little fresh ferm en ting- 

 material in process, as a slight bottom heat will be 

 required for some time yet. 



May. 



Sow dui'ing the first week in the month Dwarf 

 Kidney Beans, making- if possible a small sowing 

 upon a warm sunny -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 

 Rosette 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 showers of rain. 

 In connection with this beneficial practice of 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 purpose, and in doing so use every effort to 

 «ave 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, Turnips, &c.. 



requires also to be done when the plants are young, 

 to obviate 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 care to hoe somewhat deeply, and so move the 

 soil as well as possible all amongst the crops. 



Habitually cold nights with more or less frost are 

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

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

 then to plant out into their summer quarters such 

 plants of the following as have been sown in pots, 

 potted off, and duly hardened in i-eadiness — i.f., 

 Tomatoes, which succeed best against warm walls, 

 or fences. Ridge Cucumbers, Vegetable Marrows, 

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

 ground for all of these some time before the time of 

 planting arrives. 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 preparation 

 as above has not been made, by sowing seeds of 

 Cucumbers and Vegetable Marrows 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 

 White, Grange's and Sprouting Broccoli 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 early 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 aU growing 

 vegetables should the weather prove dry. Good 

 vegetables are only secured by this means, and able 

 cultui'ists make a ]3oint 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. Immediately plants from the early 

 sowings of Cabbages, Lettuces, &c., are large enough, 

 thin the largest ones out from amongst their kind 

 and transplant either permanently or in nursery 

 beds. The chief object in connection with all good 

 vegetable-growing should be to give all a free and 

 uninterrupted growth throughout. 



Cucumbers treated as directed last month will re- 

 quire beyond, during this month, to have a thorough 



