April 1, 1904 
Brussels Sprouts—This is another sort 
of cabbage, and an excellent one, too, 
which should be grown extensively in the 
cool climates. Like all the members of 
the cabbage tribe, it will need rich soil, 
plenty of moisture, and good cultivation 
during the whole time of its growth. “Sow 
a little seed, and if any plants have been 
raised, and are suitable, plant them out 
about 2 feet apart each way, a few ati a 
time, during the month. 
- Cabbage.—Seed may be sown exten- 
sively, not all at one time, but occasionally 
during the month, and plant out any young 
cabbages which may be on hand; but use 
abundance of good manure, for the cabbage 
is a good feeder and needs a considerable 
amount of nourishment. Sow seed of the 
red variety for pickling. If all that are 
planted are not required for pickling they 
can be made use of as the ordinary cab- 
bage. 
Cauliflower—Sow a little seed occa- 
sionally during the month in order to keep 
a sufficiency of plants ready for planting 
when required. In order to grow the best 
of either cauliflower or cabbages for plant- 
ing out, the seedlings should be pricked 
out a few inches apart, as soon as they are 
large enough to move from the seed bed. 
They will then become much more robust 
and satisfactory than if allowed to remain 
crowded up in aseed bed. Always endea- 
vor to move any of the plants without 
breaking their roots. The cauliflower 
needs very rich soil in order that it may 
grow to the perfection that it should; and 
it should have no check during its growth. 
Carrot.—Sow seed during the © month 
from time to time, making the drills about 
a foot apart. Sow the seed not more 
tnan an inch' deep. - Avoid the use of freshi 
manure, and, if possible, use ground that 
had been well manured for a crop which 
has been gathered. friae 
Celery.—Sow a little seed, and plant out 
any seedlings which are on hand ?and are 
well-grown. Earth up plants which have 
attained almost the full growth. The soil 
for celery should be made quite rich, and 
tho use of abundance of water is necessary 
to produce good tender celery. 
Endive.—Sow a little seed of this useful 
substitute for lettuce. If seedlings are on 
hand, plant out a few occasionally during 
the month. 
Leeks.—This is a good time to sow seed 
and raise leeks for planting out in trenches 
or on. the flat, if that system be preferred. 
When planted in trenches water and liquid 
manure can be applied more easily than 
when they are planted on an ordinary bed. 
The use of abundance of water and of 
liquid manure is advisable during their 
growth. a 
Lettuce.—Sow seed from time to time 
in order to keep up a sufficient stock of 
plants. This is a good time to plant and 
sow lettuce seed, and the seedlings may be* 
transplanted, without much chance of the 
plants running to seed as they are’ likely 
to do during the summer months. 
Onion.—Sow freely of onion seed during 
the month, for April, if the soil is in favor- 
able condition, is a good time for sowing 
- the rows. 
THE A. STRALIAN GAKDENER. 
extensively. Use.a good deal of rich: 
farmyard manure, dig the soil. well, drain 
well, and make the surface as fine and even 
as possible. Sow in drills about 1 foot 
apart, and cover the seed but lightly with 
fine soil. When the plants come up, it 
will be necessary to hand weed them, and 
particular care should be taken to keep 
them free from weeds. If small pickling 
onions are required, sow some seed very 
thickly broadcast. 
Parsley.—Sow a little seed. 
Parnsip.—Sow a little seed occasionally. 
The soil should be trenched for this vege- 
table, as its roots descend deep into the 
ground. It is better not to apply manure, 
but to use Jand that has been well manured 
for some other vegetable. 
Peas—If sown now a good return may 
be expected if occasional showers of rain 
fall during the growth of the plants. Sow 
in drills from 3 to 5 or 6 feet apart, accord- 
ing to height of variety. The dwarf 
kinds may be sown closer together than 
this. Use plenty of farmyard manure, and 
if lime can be obtained easily apply a dress: 
ing on the surface of the soil, and if raked 
in lightly it will gradually sink into the 
soil quite deep enough. 
Radish.—Sow a little seed in. drills from. 
time to time during the month, and make 
use of the radishes before they grow large. 
Sea-kale.—Preparations can be made for 
planting roots of this somewhat uncommon 
vegetable, the only difficulty with which is 
the blanching of its young shoots in the 
spring. The botanical name of the plant 
is Crambe maritima. It is a distint rela- 
tive of the cabbage, but belongs to a dif: 
ferent'genus. From very ancient times it 
was collected about thaisea coast in Great 
Britain and Europe, and the large bluish- 
green colored leaves were boiled and used 
as cabbage is used; but in its native state 
it is coarse and by no means very palatable. 
Within comparatively recent times it was 
found to be a most delicious vegetable 
when its young leaves were blanched, and 
at the present day is used to a considerable 
extent in Engiand, but not so much as it 
deserves to be in other countries. The 
eld writer on botanical subjects—Gerard— 
refers to this plant in his “Herbal” thus: 
—*The sea colewort groweth naturally 
upon the bayche and brimmes of the sea, 
where there is no earth to be seene; but 
sand and rowling pebble stones.” This: 
vegetable is supposed to be the Halmyridia 
referred to by Pliny, who says it grows 
only on the sea-coast, and-that provision 
is made of them to serve in long voyages 
at sea, for as soon as they are cut up they 
are put into barrels where oil has lately 
been kept, and then stopped up close that 
no air can come to them. As this plant 
is a perennial, like asparagus or rhubarb, 
the ground in which it is to be planted 
should be trenched, well manured, and 
carefully drained. Either seedling plants, 
roots, or portions of roots may be planted 
in rows about 4 feet apart, the plants to. 
stand about 18 inches or 2 feet apart in 
As much growth as possible of 
large leaves should be encouraged after the 
plants start into growth, whereby the buds 
13 
which form in the axils of the leaves may 
be induced to grow large, for from these. 
buds the leaves will come next season. 
When the leaves drop off in the winter, 
light soil may be heaped up for a foot or- 
18 inches over the crown of each plant; 
or, in the spring, large pots (some-are manu- 
factured especially for the purpose) may be. 
placed over the crowns. As-the object is, 
to blanch the young shoots as they grow,. 
any sort of light material may be used with 
a little ingenuity to effect the object. The 
use of light sandy soil is perhaps the easiest, 
but much care must be taken in. removing 
it from the tender and very brittle shoots 
when they are ready for cutting. After a 
trial or two with sea-kale anyone accus-.. 
tomed to gardening should be able to grow 
good sea-kale and blanch it satisfactorily. 
A. failure or two should not dishearten = 
beginner. 
~ Spinach.—Manure some ground well, 
and sow a little seed occasionally during 
the month. 
Shallots.—Plant a few bulbs about 1 foot 
apart each way. . 
Herbs.—sow seed of any kinds tiiat may 
be required, or plant if any youug herbs 
have been raised from seed.— “ gricul- 
tural Gazette of N.S.W.” 
SOUTH AUSTRALIAN GRASSES. 
By,J. G. O. Tuprsr, F.LS., F.8.So., &c. 
2 (Continued.) 
By J. G. O. Tepper, F.LS., F.S.Se., &e. 
Stipa semibarbata, R. Brown, occurs m 
all the Australian colonies and Tasmania. 
It is a rather tall coarse grass up to 4 fb. 
high, and forms moderate tufts, usuaity 
under shelter of shrubs in mallee seiuv re~ 
gions and similarly dry localities ne 
stems are rather stiff; the leaves ism = 
few inches to 2 ft. long, narrow, am as aaily 
rolled inward (involute) or aln si «wl 
shaped. The stem, sheaths, and Ss of 
the lower portion, or the plant al. . ther, 
are densely velvet-hairy. The heaa ss & 
panicle, bearing short erect bra. ~ oF 
several spikelets, and attains a kk ok 
8 to 12 in. The other glumes ( f 
chaff) are up to three-quarters of 2 
long, and end in fine long points. T oo 
ing glumes are about one-third this t 
and silk-hairy. The awn isfrom2 + 
long, and has the long hairs fixed a a2 
side in a line, which, when the frui 
follows the spiral and continues ¢ 
yond the bend. The whole plant ha. 
a pale, sometimes a yellowish-gr 
and is one of those which spring up 
luxuriance after a bush fire, cove. 
richer parts of the land with a de: 
of grass from 2 to 4 ft. high when i 
or fruit, but only for a season or 
sorbing quickly the nutrimentary 
matter, resulting from the burnin” 
woody portion of the scrub, but 
dwindling down in quantity if tt 
tion be repeated too frequently. 
case the ground becomes gradua! 
and more sterile, Amphipogon stri. 
other hard grasses in scattered sm 
replacing the above and its ass 
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