March 1, 1904.] THE TROPICAL 
AGRICULTURIST, 
58i 
should be cut when young and boiled whole, in the 
same way as beans, to retain their flavour. They like 
plenty of manure, and as they are vigorous growers 
should be planted twelve feet apart each way, one plant 
in this space givinf< more fruit than two planted closer. 
Kohl li-ibi or7,:/!o^ Ihol is one of the earliest English 
vegetables to come in at the beginning of the cold 
weather, and like broccoli and other greena the seed 
should be sown in boxes early, and the seedlings pro- 
tected and planted out nine inches aparc when the 
rains cease. 
Leeks should always find a small corner in the 
garden, for they last till May or Jnne. They should be 
8"vvn in beds and transplanted into rows one foot by 
nine inches in beds raised six inches, so that no water 
may be allowed to collect in the crowns, or otherwise 
thev soon damp off. Miize or Indian corn is useful 
at all times and can be grown all the year round. A 
fairly poor soil is required, for if sown in rich soil the 
corns do not set well. It is advisable to keep only 
good varieties, as the ordinary kinds obtainable in the 
bazaar are very inferior. 
Parsley is very useful for garnishing and flavor- 
ing. Sow in small beds and transplant to nine 
inches apart. A few rows of Parsnips should be 
sown along with carrots. The seeds are rather 
difficult to germinate, but if soot is sown along with 
them, the results will be quite satisfactory. 
PEAS. 
Peas should be grown similarly to beans, and an 
early supply can be obtained by sowing in boxes and 
protecting them. They liked a rich soil, but as they 
are very liable to mildew towards the end of the 
season, I find a good supply of lime trenched in with 
the manure not only checks the mildew but prolongs 
the fruiting period. Before sowing in the open, which 
ehonld be done from the middle of October onwards, 
the seeds should be soaked in warm water from two or 
three hours, for if planted dry, white ants and other 
insects often attack them before they germinate. If 
the seed is old and dry, a small piece of camphor put 
in the water will greatly assist their germination. 
Being one of the best vegetables we can grow, a little 
extra care should be bestowed on peas, and regular 
sowings should be made every fortnight, care being 
tiken not to sow too thickly especially towards the end 
of the season. The dwarf varieties are most suitable 
for an early supply, and they should be available from 
the beginning of December to the end of March. 
Radishes are easily grown, and it is possible to have 
the English varieties all the year, if they are sheltered 
during the rains. A few of the native varieties are 
also worth growing. 
A few Savoys should be grown along with cabbages, 
but in a somewhat more liberal soi'. They are very 
useful as they come in with Brussels Sprouts when the 
ordinary cabbage and broccoli are all finished. Along 
with them a few plants of Red Cabbage should be grown 
for pickling. 
Always sow a few rows of Spinach — it makes an 
excellent dish — in drills one foot apart, and thin out 
the seedlings to six inches when large enough, 
TOMATOES. 
Now I come to Tomatoes, in the opinion of most 
people a splendid vegetable, and with care obtainable 
throughout the whole year. For the cold weather crop, 
BOW a few in boxes under shelter in August, and 
more in September and October, and when the 
seedlings are large enough transplant them into 
well raised, protected beds until the heavy rains 
have ceased ; then transplant into rows one foot 
apart in ground that has been previously prepared 
with old manure and well trenched. Watering should 
be done very sparingly for some time until the plants 
have set a good crop of fruit, say from 20 to 40 fruits. 
They should be tied to a single bamboo stake, and all 
side shoots removed as soon as they appear, and when 
the plants are from four to five feet high, the tops 
Bhould also be taken off and half of the leaves cut off 
BO as to throw all the strength of the plants into the 
fruita, At this stage tbey should be well watered witb 
manure water, and iiae fruit will be the result. For a 
supply during the rains, prepare a border on the east 
and south sides of the bungalow under the eaves, and 
plant as in the open, one foot apart, and withhold 
water altogether during the rains, at least until a crop 
of fruit is set. 
Turnips are a very useful and easily grown vegetable, 
and the early varieties sown as soon as the rains cease, 
will ba ready in fix weeks. Some of the best table 
swedes grown along with them make nice change. 
Sow in drills one and a half feet apart, and thin to 
nine inches for large roots or six inches for ordinary use. 
The young plants, which are thinned out make a good 
dish when cooked and served in the same wayas spinach. 
MUSHROOM BEDS. 
Mushrooms, I find, are rarely grown in tea districts, 
but where the manure is obtainable from three or four 
horses, they are not difficult to grow. The manure 
should be carefully preserved in a covered shed and 
frequently turned to prevent heating. When sufficient 
is collected for abed, mix with one-fifth of good loam 
and make a bed in a covered shed two feet deep and 
five feet wide, beating it very firm. When the tem- 
perature of the bed reaches 90° to 95°, put in good 
spawn, three inches deep and nine inches apart, and 
put on the top of the bed one inch of fine soil and 
again beat firm, and to prevent evaporation put a foot 
of straw on the top of all. 
In about six weeks mushrooms will appear, and if the 
bed has become dry, water carefully with water heated 
to the same temperature as the bed. When the first 
crop is over give the bed a rest for a month ; then give 
a good watering of salt and water, and another crop 
will shortly appear. Even when the bed is exhausted, 
if you put the manure on the vegetable garden, yon 
will find a crop of mushrooms will invariably appear 
during the following year where the manure has been 
spread. 
One other vegetable 1 must not forget is the [Potato, 
Home grown ones from good seed are so much better 
than those obtainabie in the bazaar that they are well 
worth a little trouble. They should be planted (one 
foot apart in rows two feet apart) early in October, for 
if planted later, white ants invariably attack them 
before they are rea^y to lift, and generally the whole 
crop is last. Greens, such as cabbage, cauliflowers, 
etc., may be planted between the rows as those do not 
suffer in'any way if the potatoes are carefully lifted and 
a double crop is thereby grown on the same ground. 
All early vegetables, such as carrots, beet, turnips, 
and such like, should be sown every week from the 
beginning of October, but do not sow the main crop, 
until you are sure the heavy rains are over, for often 
a heavy shower will wash away or kill every little 
seedling '? By sowing a few weekly, some are sure to 
be saved, small lots being easily protected by old leaf 
baskets placed over them. 
To maintain a supply of vegetables during the rains, 
in addition to the varieties I have mentioned, sow 
jhiugas, dundhul and chichingas when the rains com- 
mence, aud give them a bamboo trellis to cling to ? A 
few sown every month will best maintain the supply. 
Sow '' R-imtori " or Ladies' Fingers in March or April 
and they will fruit until October. There are several 
varieties of S0(/s that may be grown, but the poi saij, 
which much resembles spiuacb, is the best. It should 
have a trellis work to run over, or may be planted near 
ashed or out-house to trail over the roof. Water- 
melons having scarcely any flavour, are hardly worth 
the growing. 
The ahoveraentioned varieties of vegetables are those 
which I should advise growing in this district. In my 
endeavour to make the directions which tend to success 
as practical as possible, it is probable I have left out 
some which ought to be included in a full list, but if 
only these mentioned are grown successfully, I do not 
think that any one will ever regret the little time and 
little trouble he spends on the most ancient, most 
useful, and most healibinl of all cc-upatious — the 
growing of plauts that are good iox food, 
