492 



THE GARDEN AND FIELD. 



April, 1914 



Herbs. 



These necessary plants should be 

 grown in every vegetable garden. 

 Frequently, however, one finds 

 them in some out-of-the-way cor- 

 ner partially smothered with weeds. 

 It is far better to grow a few 

 plants of each kind and devote a 

 good piece of ground to their cul- 

 ture. 



— Anise. — 



Sow the seeds where the plants 

 are to remain and thin out the 

 seedlings to Sin. apart. The leaves 

 are used for garnishing, and the 

 seed in pickling cucumbers, etc. 



— Borage. — 



Sow seeds and thin out the 

 plants to ift. apart as they re(q5.iire 

 plenty of space to grow in. The 

 leaves are used in salads and for 

 flavouring claret cup, etc. 



— Sweet Marjoram. — 



Sow in beds of light soil where 

 the plants are to remain, and thin 

 out the latter to 6in. apart. Used 

 in soups and stuffings. 



— Summer Savory. — 



Sow the seeds where the plants 

 are to remain in light soil, and 

 thin out the seedlings to 6 in. 

 apart. The tops are used in salads 

 and soups, and are also boiled with 

 peas. 



— Caraway. — 



Sow and thin out the plants to 

 4in. apart. Used for flavouring 

 soups. 



— Dill. — 



The seeds are best sown in 

 drills and the resultant seedlings 

 thinned out to lit. apart. The 

 leaves are used in soups and sauces, 

 and both lea\'es and umbels in 

 pickling. 



— Angelica. — 



The soil should be deep and 

 fairlv rich. The mid-rib is used 

 in the same way as Celery. 



— Balm. — 



Increase the stock by root divi- 

 sions either in the spring or au- 

 tumn. I'ut in the divisions about 

 ift. apart. A rather heavy soil 

 suits it best. Used for making 

 Balm tea, and also for flavouring 

 claret-cup. 



— Fennel. — 



Sow seeds in spring or autnmn. 

 Also propagate by off-sets. Allow 

 a space of at least ift. between the 

 plants as they grow tall, and se- 

 lect a dry soil. Used in sauces 

 for fish and for garnishing. 



— Pot Marjoram. — 



By seed and the division of roots 

 or slips. Used in soups and stufl- 

 ings. 



— Rampion. — 



Sow the seeds in drills 6 in. 

 apart. The leaves are used in 

 salads and the roots may be 

 eaten. 



— Rue. — 



Easily raised from seeds, or from 

 slips inserted in a sandy soil. Poor 

 i^Tound is best for this crop. Used 

 for making a medicinal beverage. 



— Sage. — 



Young plants are better than old 

 ones, and may be raised from seed 

 in' a light soil. Used in sauces 

 and in stufUngs. 



— Skirret. — 



Sow seeds in shallow drills and 

 treat the plants similarly to Pars- 

 nips. The tubers are boiled and 

 eaten with butter. 



— Sorrel. — 



By I seeds, also by division 

 of roots. Cut down the stems 

 to induce large leaves to ' grow. 

 The leaves are used in salads and 

 soups. 



— Tansy. — 



Propagated by division and cut- 

 tings. Used for colouring and fla- 

 \ ouring confections, and >as a medi- 

 cinal drink. 



r- Tarragon. — 



Rv seeds, but stock may be in- 

 creased by the division of the 

 roots. The leaves may be pickled 

 or used in salads. 



— Thyme. — 



Sow seeds, take cuttings, or lay- 

 er the old plants. A medium light 

 soil is best. 



— Wormwood. — 



I',v division of roots. A light, 

 rather poor soil js best. Used to 

 make tea for medicinal purposea, 

 and to impart a bitterness to cer- 

 tain drinks. — Exchange. 



Seed Potatoes. 



The importance of the use of 

 " green " potato tubers for seed 

 has been a good deal discussed of 

 recent years, but many practical 

 growers do not appear to have 

 realized the difference which , 

 " green " as against ripe seed 

 may make in their crop returns. 

 After referring to previous experi- 

 mental work carried out to deter- 

 mine this point locally, Mr. Sey- 

 mour, in the recent Report on the 

 X'ictnrian Experimental iPotatoi 

 Fields, writes under the 'heading — 



— Immature v. i-cipe t>eed. — 



" These experiments were resumed 

 in 1912 by harvesting portion of a 

 plot of Up-to-Dates and Carman. 

 A parcel of immature and ripe 

 seed was planted by Mr. Ricketts, 

 of Bentleigh, in July, and harvest- 

 ed on the'i'Sth Deoemjbler, 191 2. The» 

 ripe seed returned 3 tons I cwt. 

 12 R>s., the immature seed 4 tons 

 I cwt., being an increase of i ton 

 per acre in favour of immature 

 seed. The sample of the latter 

 was much superior to the lipe 

 seed. 



A field plot at Romsey planted 

 with Up-to-Dates gave the follow- 

 ing results (planted 9/l2/l'2, dug 

 May, 1913) :— 



I i 



H a i4 



Immature Seed 

 Ripe Seed 



..6 8 

 •• 3 17 



64 

 104 





2 10 



72 



Field plot, Carman, 



Romsey- 





Immature Seed 

 Ripe Seed 



- 5 5 

 .. 2 17 



60 



80 





3 7 



92 



In the above experiments it will 

 Ije noted that the increase is con- 

 siderably over 2 tons per acre ; 

 and it should be stated that in 

 both varieties the produce from the 

 immature seed was a much finer 

 sample than from the ripe seed. 



In the above experiments seed 

 was taken at various stages of 

 growth, and it was found that 

 those in the most immature condi- 

 tions ])roduced strongest buds, the 

 most \igorous plants, and the 

 heaviest crop. 



Some striking results were ob- 

 tained from a crop of Up-to-Dates 

 treated in the above manner. No 

 I . — One drill was lifted in, January^ 

 1913 ; the plants at this stage 

 were quite green, and the skin on 

 the tubers was easily rubbed off. 



