. 
12 
The most bewildering fact is that a 
great many breeders, depending on the 
natural method, buy up all the available 
broodies for their own use. 
In so doing they rob themselves of a 
customer for eggs in many cases, where, 
if they adopted artificial incubation, the 
hens would be available for the small 
breeder. : 
There is something in this that will 
appeal to all thinking people, and no 
doubt’ in the near future we will see our 
leading breeders offering to supply the 
broodies instead of buying them up from 
outside. 
Feeding. 
CHD 
Variety, 
Regularity, 
And cleanliness, 
Are the main features 
Of successful poultry feeding. . 
We are often asked fora perfect ration. 
Like the best breed, this does not exist, 
And if it did, it would not always be 
practicable to give it. : 
For instance, suppose our perfect ration 
consisted largely of corn, what would 
poultry keepers in wheat centres do. 
We advise to feed most the grain that 
is cheapest in your district :; don’t feed it 
entirely, and don’t abuse it, but make it 
the staple. 
Where two or three kinds of grain are 
to be had at similar prices, feed the lot in 
irregular rotation or mixed together. 
Just now it will not do to feed too 
much maize, as it is fattening and heat- 
ing, and not at all adapted to exclusive 
summer feeding. _ 
Yet a little corn, like a little money, is 
a good thing, and while it is so cheap it is 
hardly the thing to leave it out altogether. 
But if fed too heavily it will affect the 
egg yield and send the birds into an early, 
or rather, false moult, 
Wheat, oats and millet, with barley 
(boiled for preference), can now be fed 
largely with the best of results. 
It will pay to remember, however, that 
the grain given should be but a small 
proportion of the ration. ; 
The mash, after all, is the main feature, 
and it can be worked to balance the grain 
given. 
Where the latter is of a fattening 
nature, such as maize, the mash should 
contain a good proportion of greenstuff, 
bran and other non fat-forming elements. 
The user will in all cases have to use 
his own judgment toa considerable ex- 
tent; the best proof of good feeding is 
heavy egg production, as it is also the 
best preventative of over-fat hens. 
If your birds are laying well, it would 
be foolish to alter the ration that is giving 
such good results. If, on the contrary, 
they are lagging behind, it behoves yon 
look round for something to shake them up 
This will be found, for the most part, 
in the regular foods, not in the excessive 
nse of spices or stimulants of a doubtful 
nature. 
THE AUSTRALIAN GARDENER. 
Vegetable Garden. 
Seasonable Notes 
By W. S. CampBE.u. 
Every farm should be provided with 
fruit, vegetable and flower gardens, Those 
who shirk the work make the excuse that 
they have no time for that sort of thing: 
that the general farming work occupies 
every moment of time. This is a poor 
excuse. It is a man’s duty to provide for 
the health and comfort of his family, and 
if he pleases he can grow all the comforts 
needed, that is, if he has an inclinatien to 
do so, and should he have no knowledge 
of gardening he can soon gain all he re- 
quires by simply the asking. 
, Now is a good time to starta garden, if 
it be only for the growing of a few pump- 
kins or a few potatoes, and the time ovcu- 
pied in forming the garden need be but a 
trifle, even to do it well: but instances 
may be seen by the hundred where the 
farmers will not take the trouble to put 
in even a single pumpkin seed. 
Asparagus Is a good vegetable to grow, 
and one that gives but little or no trouble 
after it becomes established, One, two or 
three year old plants may be planted, 
provided they Reve not started into 
growth. As soon as possible get the soil 
ready —it should be ready some little 
time before planting. Trench 2 feet deep, 
keeping the top soil on the top and the 
bottom soil at the bottom, for itis but 
rarely that the bottom soil when brought 
to the surface is in a suitable condition 
for plants. To do this easily divide the 
land to be trenched—indeed the whole of 
the garden would be the better for trench- 
ing—into two parts, or if a large patch, 
intu four. Start work at one end and let 
it be divided into strips about 3 feet wide. 
Then take out all the surface soil to 
about 1 foot in depth and put it in a heap 
at the end. Then take out the surface 
soil of the next strip 3 feet wide, and heap 
this with the soil already taken out Then 
take out the bottum or subsoil and keep 
this by itself near the heaps of surface 
soil, but do not mix it with them. Then 
dig out the subsoil which was under the 
second strip and put it into the bottom 
of the trench made when the bottom soil 
of the first strip was taken out, and then 
put the top soil of the second strip on top 
of this, and so continue to the end of the 
bed. 
When planting asparagus open up a 
trench (not very deep) and round up the’ 
bottom of it. Set the plants on top of the 
rounded part so that the roots can be 
spread out evenly and nicely, and then 
fill up with soil. The depth of the top of 
the rounded part below the surface of the 
soil should be so deep only that the tops 
of the plants will be not more than an 
inch or two below the soil. If the roots 
be bundled together and stuck into a hole 
the plants are not likely to grow very 
well. ey ; 
Srrremser I, 1906 
Artichoke, Globe—This is not much of 
a vegetable, and hardly worth the space it 
would occupy, but if anyone desires to 
try it now is the time, ach plant will 
occupy a considerable space, so that if 
more than one plant is grown the dis- 
tance they should stand apart should be 
at least 4 feet. 
Artichoke, Jerusalem — This is really 
not an artichoke but a kind of sunflower, 
and it is one of the best and easiest of 
vegetables to grow, and if too much of 
this good thing should be raised the pigs 
will take the surplus with gratitude and 
thrive well on it, Plant early in trenches. 
3 or 4 feet apart. Drop the tubers in 
trenches made about 5 or 6 inches deep: 
about a foot from each other. Cover u 
and keep down weeds by cultivating well 
from time to time between the rows. 
Beans, French or Kidney—lIn all the 
warm districts seeds may be sown, but 
delay the sowing if cold, frosty weather 
sets In. 
Beet, Red—This vegetable should be 
grown wherever possible so that a supply 
mag be available. Sow a few short rows. 
from time to time, keep the plants free: 
from weeds and thin them out well. When: 
the soil is being prepared for sowing 
avoid applying fresh or rank manure. The 
best plan is to follow cabbage, cauliflower 
or other vegetables for which a good deal 
of manure had heen used. The best sorts 
to grow are the short, stumpy and turnip 
rooted or globe varieties, as they are 
named. 
Sulsify—Seeds may be sown now if a 
trial 1s desired. Sow in rows about 15 
inches apart. ‘I'he best soil for this plant 
is sandy loam, and when the seedlings 
come up they should be thinned out to: 
about 6 inches apart. 
Swede—Sow in rows a little seed from 
time.to time to keep up a supply, 
Potato—Plant a few rows during the 
month of any early variety obtainable, 
and manure, dig and drain the land well. 
Sow whole potatoes of a medium size, 
unless the seed is scarce, when they may 
be cut into sets 
Tomato—In warm districts plants that- 
have been raised undér shelter may now 
be planted out, but some protection may 
be necessary at night, for frosts may 
come even in warm districts and destroy 
the plants if unprotected. Seed may be 
sown to any extent needed, but under 
protection. 
Miss Thompson. 
Costumiere. 
0000 
High-Class Dressmaking at 
Moderate Uharges. 
A Trial Solicited. 
Orders promptly & accurately 
executed, 
000 
-Address—- 
142 Pulteney-street. F 
