14 
THE AUSTRALIAN GARDENER. 
cause the figures are judiciously placed by 
way of illustration, and contain surprising 
facts. For instance, few people in Aus- 
tralia can realise how a country having 
24 million acres under cultivation, can 
afford to- retain over 13 millions of the 
area under permanent grass. The figures 
go to show that the arable land is fast 
giving way to grass land. The author 
ascribes this in measure to the difficulty 
of obtaining efficient and remunerative 
labour. The experience.in England, as 
elsewhere, is that tne rural population 
drift into city life, where there is greater 
activity and variation of interests. All 
drawbacks to city life, which the country- 
man. cannot understand, count for nothing 
against man’s gregarious inctinct. The 
farmer, then, is left without labour, ana 
dependent upon machinery. It is freely 
admitted that the creation of pastures 1s 
bad for the nation, because land does not 
produce so much food as when under the 
plough and spade, and gives less employ- 
ment. But the author very sensibly re- 
marks also that the question which agri- 
culturalists have /to consider is neither 
tne most productive metuod of cultivating 
land, nor the system which will employ 
the largest number of labourers, but the 
most certain way of farming land to avoid 
loss. This chapter upon the extensioa of 
pastures is entirely sensible, does the 
author credit, and should be read by all 
producers. He advocates what he terms 
“temporary pastures,” meaning artificial 
grasses, in uwo or four year rotations, and 
goes on to quote the commerd¢ial aspect 0. 
dairying, and the words of an authority 
who has declared that “a ton of milk is 
worth more than a ton of wheat, and costs 
less to produce.’ Not a few producers 
will be surprised at this, for the simple 
reason that it had never occurred to them 
to make the comparison. It is a fact, 
nevertheless, but will not hold good in 
Australia under present conditions of feed- 
ing cows. The ABC of all Australian 
problems in production is water. Given 
a sufficiency of this and there is no coun- 
try in the world to compare ‘with its 
power of production. Our English friends 
find it difficult to believe that miles of 
country as bare, as sandy, and as rocky as 
a macadamised road, and just as destitute 
of vegetation on a given date will, with 
an inch of rain, or less, within the space of 
a week produce waving stretches of grass 
a foot to eighteen inches in height. But 
such is the producing power of our arid 
northern regions. Water is the secret 
of our wealth. What we want is a 
grass that will stand conditions of drought. 
There seems to be little doubt but that 
wheat has the greatest resisting power 
over drought, but all the grasses described 
in Mr. Sutton’s book we are confident 
could be grown profitably as pastures in 
our southern country lands. Also in many 
of the valley stretches in our numerous 
hills everywhere in the country. 
After giving ai series of chapters on 
practical cultivation in the field, a long 
descriptive list is given of suitable pasture 
grasses. Then follow the clovers, and 
sundry plants for grazing, feeding, and 
haymaking. A very thoughtful and most 
useful set of notes is upon worthless, in- 
jurious, and poisonous plants. Before we 
come to the final pages of a most complete 
index, is a series of splendidly illustrated 
botanical descriptive plates, and analyses 
of grasses and clovers. 
The book is got up’ in the best style of 
printer’s art, and, we repeat, a welcome 
and valuable addition to horticultural 
literature. 
Vegetable Garden. 
— ——o0——_ — 
OPERATIONS FOR DECEMBER. 
Silver Beet—This is a good useful 
vegetable for the summer; but, like all 
vegetables which are grown for their suc- 
culent leaves, it needs a good deal of mois- 
ture. When preparing land for this beet, 
apply a heavy dressing of rich farmyard 
manure. Sow or plant in rows about 20 
inches apart. The plants should stand 
about 18 inches apart in the rows. 
Broccoli—tIn the quite cool districts a 
little seed might be sown occasionally, and 
when the seedlings are large enough to 
move they had better be pricked out 4 or 
5 inches or so apart. Afterwards they 
should be shifted again to good, rich, well- 
manured ground, and planted out about 
from 3 to 4 feet apart. During the mov- 
ing operations as little damage as possible 
to the roots should be caused. 
Cabbage.—A few young cabbages should 
be planted occasionally from the bed 
where they have been already pricked out. 
Sow a few more seeds. There is no neces- 
sity to sow much more than will be neces- 
sary to provide enough cabbages for suc- 
cessional planting, allowing for some loss. 
The variety called Succession is an excel- 
lent one. Another named Phenomenal 
is also a superb variety. I sent a few 
seeds to Mr. T. F. Ellis, Superintendent of 
the Howlong Viticultural Station, last 
season, and the cabbages he raised there 
have been splendid. He says, “As I have 
raised and given a trial to two separate 
batches from the same packet of seed, the 
first batch of which you saw; the second 
lot has also proved to be first-class. I am 
sowing some of the first for seed, and I 
hope to have a good lot from them. It is 
an ideal cabbage, and I do not think it 
possible to produce a better.’ Plant out 
any good seedlings of cabbage which may 
be ready, and take the precaution to use 
abundance of manure. 
Capsicum or Chili, sometimes known as 
Pepper.—aA few plants only need be grown 
unless for experiment or ornament, for 
some of the variety such as Celestial are 
very pretty when covered with the various- 
colored fruits. Some of the large-fruited 
mild varieties, which are said to be the 
best kinds for the use of canaries, are quite 
handsome with their brilliant-colored 
fruits. Sow a pinch or two of seed. 
Dec. 1, 1903 
Egg Plant.—Not much used in this 
State as a vegetable. A few fine fruits 
are occasionally imported from New Cale- 
donia, but they could be grown here just 
as well as in that country. There are 
many varieties, some with white, others 
with striped, some bright scarlet, and 
others again with purple fruits, but the 
merits of these for vegetable purposes are 
much the same. Sow the seed in a box 
or flower-pot, or in seed bed, and trans- 
plant in well-manured land. Set the 
seedlings about 3 or 4 feet apart. 
Khol Rabi.—Useful for stock, and occa- 
sionally used and liked by some persons 
as a vegetable. Sow seed, transplant. 
and manage just as you would for cab- 
bage, but the plants need not be planted 
quite so far apart, if to be used as a vege- 
table, for they had better be cut when 
rather small and tender. 
Leek.—A. few leeks will be found useful 
for a change vegetable; and for many 
kitchen uses. Seed may be sown from 
time to time in box or seed bed, to keep 
up a supply of young leeks for planting 
out. Any leeks already raised should be 
planted out in trenches made from 4 to 6 
inches deep. There is no real necessity 
for planting in trenches, but as the leek 
needs a great deal of moisture during its 
growth, and is benefited by applications of 
water and liquid manure, the shallow 
trenches will be found convenient. Be- 
fore planting dig the soil well and apply 
manure heavily. 
Parsnip——Sow a little seed in rows 2 
feet apart. The soil should be deeply dug 
for this vegetable, and no manure should 
be applied directly; but it should grow 
well on land that had _ been heavily 
manured for cabbage, cauliflower, or some 
such crop. ‘The parsnip takes a long time 
to come to maturity, but is worth growing, 
for it is a wholesome vegetable. 
Turnip.—Sow a little seed. 
Vegetable Marrow and Squash.—Sow as 
extensively as may be required. The bush 
marrow will be found of much value in 
small gardens, and can be recommended. 
Onion.—Sow a little seed, and attend to 
onions which are making progress; keep 
down the weeds, and cultivate between 
the plants frequently. 
Potato—Plant out a few rows in cool 
climate districts. Use manure freely, and 
be careful not to plant unsound or scabby 
potatoes. 
Proreieentte: 
PRINTING OFFICE 
Nos. 114 and 115, 
Royal Exchange Basement, 
King William Street, 
Every kind of Printing Executed 
at the shortest notice and at 
cheapest rates. 
C. K. BALDWINSON, Manager. 
Printer for the ‘‘ Australian Gardener.” 
