37° 
THE TROPICAL 
AGRICULTURIST. [October i, 1881. 
After manure has been added, and the soil broken 
up as finely as possible, the surface should be turned 
over daily for at least three or four days before the 
seed is sown. This exposes it to the beneficial action 
of the air — a point that is of more consequence than 
many are disposed to believe, It is a too common 
practice in this country to allow that portion of a 
garden allotted to the cultivation of vegetables to 
remain a desolate waste through the whole of the 
hot and rainy season, during which time not only will 
an immense quantity of weeds accumulate, but it also 
thereby harbours an unknown quantity of insects of 
every description, much to the detriment of any crops 
that eventually may be grown in the soil. Instead 
of this, if the ground is regularly turned over once 
or twice a month, not only will it prevent an accu- 
mulation of weeds and insects, but the soil will 
receive more benefit in thus having every particle of 
it exposed to the air, than it would from a heavy 
dressing of the best manure that could possibly be 
procured. The next point to be consideied is the 
condition of the soil at the time of sowing. If it is 
too dry the seed will fail to germinate for want of 
moisture, and watering immediately after seed has 
been sown is also very prejudicial to success, as this 
causes the soil to become caked and hardened, thereby 
preventing the seed pushing through. When the soil 
is too dry, the best plan to adopt is to give it a 
thorough drenching one or two days previous to the 
time of sowing. On the other hand care must be 
taken that the soil is not too damp, otherwise, in 
all probability, the seed will rot instead of germin- 
ating. 
Sowings may be made broadcast or in drills, but 
for the majority of those vegetables that are sown in 
the place where they are intended to remain, the 
latter is decidedly the better plan, as it not only 
economizes the use of seed, but also gives the grow- 
ing crops a neater and more uniform appearance. 
When possible, it is advisable to shade the ground 
after the seeds are sown. This not only induces 
them to germinate more quickly, but also with greater 
regularity. 
Watering. 
This is another point in the cultivation of veget- 
ables that is deserving of more attention than is 
generally bestowed on it. A mistake too frequently 
made by many gardeners is to give crops a slight 
watering nearly every day. This, instead of benefiting 
them, is often prejudicial to their growth ; in lieu of 
this if the soil is thoroughly drenched every third or 
fourth day, it will be found to have a much better 
effect. 
Liquid Manure. 
Probably nothing conduces more to the success of 
the majority of vegetables than being liberally sup- 
plied with liquid manure. It is far more stimulating 
and quicker in its effect than heavy dressings of dry 
manure. The reason for this is obvious, as it is sup- 
plied in such a way that the plants are able to 
absorb it at ODce. It may be made from fresh drop- 
pings of the cow, horse, sheep, goat — in fact of nearly 
any animal. All that is required is to allow the 
water to remain on it for four or six days, so that, 
when it is used, it may be perfectly clear. Its strength 
of course must be regulated according to the require- 
ments of the crops for which it is intended. 
Artichoke (Cynara scoh/mus.) 
Firminger, in his "Manual of Gardening," states 
that in the neighbourhood of Calcutta only what is 
called acclimated seed can be used with any pro- 
Kpect of success, as it is very rare indeed, that a 
single head can be obtained from plants raised from 
'imported seed." In direct contradiction to this, 
another well known authority, " Landolicus," says, 
"the seed of the artichoke is best imported from 
Prance, England, or America." "Country seed is 
easily obtained, but can never be relied on, as it 
frequently yields worthless flowers." My experience 
certainly coincides with the latter. On more than one 
occasion I have had plants raised both from English 
and acclimated seed growing side by side, under pre- 
cisely the same treatment, and the former has invari- 
ably produced the finest heads. 
Although the plant is naturally a perennial, it can 
only be cultivated as an annual with any amount of 
success in this country. It is therefore neressary to 
sow the seed as early as possible. This is best done 
in seed-pans or boxes about the middle of August. 
The seed, if good, will germinate in ten or twelve 
days. As soon as this occurs th' j y must be allowed 
as much light and air as possible. It is therefore 
advisable to place the boxes or pans out into the 
open air during the continuance of fine weather, and 
only removing them under shelter when it is raining 
heavily, as the plants, in their young state, are very 
delicate, and, if subject to any excess of moisture, 
are apt to damp off. If the seedlings come up too 
thickly, they should be thinned out and planted in 
other gumlahs. As soon as the plants are five or six 
inches in height they may be put out in the ground 
prepared for them. Great care must however be taken 
in removing the plants that the tap root is not broken, 
otherwise they will receive a check which it is diffi- 
cult for them to recover from. 
The soil in which they are grown can hardly be 
made too rich. The plan most generally adopted is 
to dig trenches at a distance of three feet apart, and 
after thoroughly pulverising the soil to a depth of 
two feet, a heavy dressing of rich manure should be 
given. The plants may then be placed in the trenches 
at intervals of two and a half or three feet, and must 
be kept well shaded till established. Water must be 
liberally supplied through the whole period of their 
growth, and they will also be much benefited by fre- 
quent dressings of strong liquid manure. In Europe 
the artichoke is generally propagated by offets or 
suckers from year to year, and occasionally this method 
is adopted here. With a little care old plants may 
be kept through the rainy season. There is, how- 
ever, but little advantage gained by doing so, as, 
although the heads may form earlier, they are always 
inferior to those produced by seedling plants when 
well grown. 
Asparagus (Asparagus officinalis. ) 
One of the most delicious of all European veget- 
ables, and although extensively grown in this country, 
the produce is of very inferior quality as compared 
with that grown in Europe, not only in point of size, 
but also flavour. This is probably more owing to 
the want of care bestowed on its cultivation than 
to the difference in the climate. There is certainly 
no vegetable that will repay good cultivation better 
than asparagus. This was clearly proved at a re- 
cent show held at Tunbridge Wells, where special 
prizes to a large amount were offered for the best 
exhibits of this esculent, the leading class being f jr 
three bunches, each containing one hundred heads. 
The first prize exhibited in this section weighed 
upwards of thirty-seven pounds, or an average of about 
two ounces for each head. Although it may be out 
of the question for us to attempt to grow anything 
approaching this, still much can be done to improve 
the pipe stem style of growing that is so generally 
seen amongst us. The mode of growing it in this 
country is thus described by Firminger : — 
"The seed should be sown in August, or as soon 
after as possible, under shelter from the weather, in 
seed gumlahs in very loose, mellow earth, both rich 
and sandy, for, if the soil be at all retentive, the 
roots, which are very delicate, would, at the time of 
