4 
THE AUSTRALIAN GARDENER. 
Aprit 15, 1906 
ountry is known as the dry belt, where only a 
scanty rainfall occurs in Winter. The Summer 
is long and very dry. Many portions consist of 
dry, sandy wastes, covered with sage brush; but 
are these sandy wastesso dry? I trow not. In 
digging native bulbs, such as Calochortus macro- 
carpus, Fritillaria pudica and Lewisia rediviva, 
which always occur in the sandiest spots, I 
always found more or less moisture at a depth of 
six inches. In my opinion the shifting sand, 
blown about by every wandering breeze, forms a 
natural dust blanket. 
Sandy soils retain moisture better and re- 
quire less cultivation than heavy loam or clay 
soils. 
*Plan for Flower Garden. 
41 Remedy for Red 
Spider. 
I ama constant reader of the Florists’ Exchange 
and owe a debt of gratitude to those who con- 
tribute the useful results of their experience, a 
debt to be paid in like good coin. 
The last Summer was unusually dry with us, 
resulting in a plague of red spider covering 
garden plants, grass and clover, Many plants 
were out of reach of the water system, so that 
we could not visit them with 4 sharp stream. I 
tried all things in the way of medicine that I 
could think of without any results, the spiders 
were still there and happy. The one vulnerable 
point that I discovered was to glue them fast. 
I found that by making a solution of glue and 
spraying the plants that every tyrant that re- 
ceived a touch of the solution was dead in two 
honrs, Wash ng them free of the glue and 
examining them.under a two-thirds objective 
proved that there was noresurrection. This did 
not kill the eggs [then madea number of care- 
ful experiments with various sticky mediums, 
and found that a hoiled flour paste, with whale 
oil soap, would kill adults and eggs with one 
thorough application. I did not find that it in- 
jure anything except gloxinias and geraniums, 
and they were unharmed if well syringed within 
a few hours. By adding tobacco or arsenic, or 
both, other insects were effecti: ely destroyed. 
Soap starch and nicotine solution worked fine 
on mealy bug ‘Try it, brothers; mix some 
brains with it, and report any improvement. — 
A. B. Leckensy. 
Vegetable Garden, 
per een 
Perennial crops should now be manured and 
dug for the season, as root growth commences 
as soon as the soil becomes moistened, Although 
tke crops are obtained no earlier, they are 
stronger and more prolific if the manure is dug 
in earlier in the season. These crops consist of 
asparagus, seakale, rhubarb, and globe arti- 
chokes New beds for planting these perennial 
crops should be formed at once by heavy manur- 
ing and trenching toa depth of 18in. Under 
proper cultivation asparagus is the most pro- 
ductive vegetable that can be grown, besides 
being the chvicest, and it deserves to be more 
generally grown and to be sold at much cheaper 
rates than at present. It is also the easiest to 
grow of any vegetable. All main lots of winter 
cabbage, kale, and broccoli should be planted by 
‘the middle of the month. Large breadths of 
early kinds of turnips should be sown, as this is 
the only reliable sowing that can be brought on 
by the natural rains, and, however early sown, 
the roots will remain good until the spring. 
Thus one large sowing will give a winter’s supply 
whether stored or left in the ground. Garlic, 
shallots, chives, tree and potato onions should 
all be planted during the month, giving them 
deep, well-manured soil. 
In this department do not neglect preparing 
the jland in time=for~ autumn planting and 
sowing, for as the season changes and a good 
time comes, so should, and will, the desire re- 
turn to raise a crop of good fresh vegetables. 
Some little effort should be made, therefore, to 
be ready in good time, and if possible raise some 
plants of cabbage, cauliflower, etc., even though 
it may be a matter of considerable difficulty to 
do so. If such vegetubles are ready and the 
ground is ready also, they can be planted where 
sufficient rain has fallen to saturate the ground 
In the cool table-land districts the broad 
bean may be sown with every chance of success, 
and towards the end of the month it can be 
sown in the warmer districts. I+ is a good vege- 
table and deserves to be grown. 
The watercress is a vegetable but seldom 
cultivated in the kitchen garden, although it is 
one that deserves attention. It grows wild in 
many places—in watercourses and swampy land 
—but this salad vegetable cannot be depended 
on for being sufficiently clean for use where 
dogs, sheep or cattle may haye access to it, It 
is not difficult to grow even with a limited 
supply of water—the soil needs but to be kept 
moist with water and liquid manure, and it 
will grow luxuriantly. A small patch, if well 
looked after, will yield a sufficient quantity of 
good succulent tops for the use of a family. 
This is quite a different thing to the cress that” 
is generally associated with mustard. Whon 
planting cuttings of watercress shade thein well, 
and after they have made roots the shading can 
gradually be removed altogether, 
Herbs of all kinds may be planted, ‘or if 
these cannot be easily obtained, seeds may be 
sown. A good collection of herbs will be found 
very useful, and a sufficient quantity to supply 
all needs will take up but a small space in the 
garden. The value of herbs does not seem to be 
generally appreciated, judging from the limited 
number grown in‘couutry gardens, Some par- 
sley, or maybe a plant or two of thyme, or a 
patch of mint or something of that kind, may be 
seen, but a collection is a rarity indeed. 
- Look ahead for the sowing of some onion 
seed, for it may be sown extensively during 
April; therefore, some ground should be set 
apart and well prepared in the meantime. The 
onion is such a useful, and almost necessary 
vegetable, that it should ou no account be over- 
looked—it needs good, well-drained soil and 
good manure in order to grow well. 
Asparagus—It would be desirable to have 
the land for the planting of this vegetable pre- 
pared in good time, for although planting need 
not be carried out before the early spring, the 
opportunity of a slack time should be taken to 
have everything ready, and save a rush at the 
last moment. The ground, which should be well 
trenched, will then have time to settle down, 
and thus be in the best condition, for planting, 
Beans, French—During dry seasons, beans 
‘and peas are liable to suffer from the attacks of 
red spider and thrips. and the leaves gradually 
turn yellow and fall off and the plants cease to 
bear. When this is the case the beans and peas 
should be pulled up and burnt, and the ground 
prepared for some othez kind of vegetable In 
the cool districts it is not advisuble to sow seeds 
except in limited quantity, for there is no know- 
ing when frosts may appear t» cut them down. 
In the warm places along the coast this bean 
may be sown as extensively. as may be required. 
Beans, Broad -— Towards the end of the 
month a row or two may be sown, and land pre- 
pared for a more extensive sowing next month, 
Dig the land deep and apply a good deal of 
manure—lime, superphosphate of lime or gyp~ 
sum, will improve not only the growth but the 
quality of the beans. : 
Beet, Red—Sow a row or two: as soon ag 
the seedling beets have attained the height of 
2 or3 inches, thin them out well. 
Beet, Silver—Sow a little seed, either where 
the beets are to stand or for transplanting —the 
latter is the best method, and if adopted will 
save a great deal of seed. Make the soil rich 
with abundance of yood manure. ~ 
Broccoli—Sow seed in seedbed in drills for 
future use, and prick out seedlings from previous 
sowings which are large enough. Good sturdy 
sme 
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