SerremBer 1, 1906 
Beet, Silver, sometimes known as Spin- 
ach—One of the most useful vegetables to 
grow, and the return from a few well 
grown and well cared for pl nts should be 
quite heavy. When preparing land for 
the plants use abundance of good manure 
—that is, farm yard mauure The seed 
may be sown in seed beds, and the young 
beet afterwards transplanted to a bed 
prepared for them. Half a dozen plants 
will probably be found sufficient at a 
time. When the leaves are well grown 
pull off the inside ones only for use. 
Cabbage. Cauliflower, Brussels Sprouts, 
Brocoli, Savoy, Kale—Sow seed of any 
of these vegetables from time to time so 
as to keep up a succession of plants. 
Very little seed need be sown, for it is no 
use having an over supply of plants for 
which no use can be made. Prick out 
seedlings of above as soon as they are 
large enough to handle, and plant out any 
well grown plants which had already teen 
pricked out. Shift these with a good deal 
of care in order to break as few roots as 
possible. Should the ground be quite dry 
when you desire tu plaut, water the plants 
to be moved thoroughly, give them quite 
a good suaking overnight, and if they are 
watered after planting they will not feel 
the shift. All the vegetables named re- 
quire rich soil, and if it be not naturally 
rich, apply abundance of well rotted (not 
fresh aud rank) farmyard manure. As 
warm weather may tet in it would not be 
amiss to spread a mulch about the plants. 
Celery —A little seed may be sown in 
seed beds, or, better still, in a box. As 
s00n as the plants can be hancled prick 
them out, aud later on transfer to shal- 
low trenches which have been heavily 
munured. During the time of growth and 
until they are about tu be blanched, the 
plants will need a great deal of water if 
she season is dry, as well as sume liquid 
«.anure occassionally. 
Celeraic, or turnip rooted Celery— 
Manage as for the above, except that the 
“plants need not be plauted in trenches, 
This is a useful vegetable for soups, 
stews, etc.: its turnip-like roots are used 
instead of the leaf stulks similar to the 
ordinary celery. 
Carrots—Seed may be sown from time 
to time to keep a continuous supply 
going. This is a most useful vegetable 
and oue which the gardener should never 
be without. Sow the seed in drilis about 
41 foot to 18 inches ‘apart. Try several 
kinds, and probably the short rooted 
will be found the best for general use. If 
the seed be soaked for a few hours before 
1t 1s planted and the drills watered, should 
the soil be dry, the seed will ,erminate 
much sooner than if it be sown in a dry 
Condition. As a rule it takes quite a long 
time to come up, and care must be taken 
to keep down weeds or the young carrota 
would become overgrown. 
(Cucumber — Only in warm localities 
should sowing seed be chanced in. the 
garden. Young plants can be raised 
under cover, however, and when frosts 
4re over the young cucumbers can be 
planted out. 
THE AUSTRALIAN GARDENER. 
Leek—This vegetable is not much used,- 
but it is a good wholesome one and well 
worth the growing. Sow a little seed 
occasionally in seed bed, and as-soon as 
the seedlings are 6 or 8 inches high they 
can be transferred to the garden. The soil 
should be made very rich in order to rear 
good leeks. 
Lettuce—Seed may be sown from time 
to time in order to keep sufficient plants 
in hand for planting oat. Before moving 
them water well and disturb the roots as 
little as possible when taking them out of 
the soil. Water ayain after planting if 
the soil is dry. 
Onions— Plants already raised in box 
or seed bed should be planted out by 
degrees, taking the largest plants first. 
This method of growing onions is a good 
one for gardens, and success in growing 
them is more likely to be attained than 
by sowing the seeds where the onions are 
to grow. As onions are largely used for 
domestic purposes, it is desirable that 
sufficient be grown forrequirements. Use 
a lot of manure for them, working it well 
with the soil at time of preparing the 
land for the plants, or seeds if sowing in 
the garden is necessary. Keep the onion 
plants free from weeds and work the land 
between the rows frequently. Before 
gathering the bulbs for keeping purposes 
they should be thoronghly ripe, and this 
may be seen by their stems dying down. 
Do not leave them in the sun after they 
are dug up any ‘longer than can be 
avoided. ‘The rows should be about 12 
inches apirt, and the distance from bulb 
to bulb inust depend upon the size which 
the particular variety is likely to attain 
when mature. 1f seed be sown in the 
gardem be careful not to cover it deep. 
At the outside it shuuld not be covered 
with fine soil more than a quarter of an 
insh. 
Parsnip — Seed of this deep rooting 
vegetable should be sown as extensively 
as may be needed. The land should be 
worked deep. Old manured land is the 
best, for if fresh manure be used the 
parsnips will probably become forked or 
misshapen. 
Peas—Sow as much as may be needed 
to keep up a continuous supply if pos- 
sible. The rows may be 3, 4 or more feet 
apart according to the height the peas are 
likely to attain. Sow the seed about 4 
inches apart and 3 inches deep. 
Radish—Sow a little seed occasionally 
-in well manured ground, using well rotted 
manure: use the radishes while they. are 
quite young and tender. When they be- 
come hollow or pithy they should be given 
to the pigs. 
Rhubarb — The directions given for 
preparing land for asparagus are applic- 
able to the rhubarb. Plant just as the 
leaf buds are starting into growth, and 
have the crown of the plant. an inch or 
two below the surface. The trench with 
rounded bottom for asparagus is unneces- 
sary for rhubarb. 
Turnip—Sow a little seed occasionally 
in rows about 15 inches apart, 
13 
The Dairy. 
Dairy Notes 
The bull is half the herd. 
Cull unprofitable cows fearlessly. 
Over-ripened cream produces inferior 
butter. 
Rear the calves of rich and copious 
milkers. 
Get to know the cost of production of 
milk. 
Ali cows are not cows to the progressive 
dairyman. 
The general purpose cow is, as yet, a 
phantom. 
Among cows large eaters are generally 
large milkers. 
A pig should dress vut 80 per cent. of 
his live weight. 
In breeding for milk there is a big 
chance of going wrong by crossing alien 
breeds: 
Study and inelligent efforts are neces- 
gary to rise to the high attainments of 
dairying. 
The value of a dairy cow consists in her 
ability to consume food at a profit. 
Know the value of the cow’s food and 
compare it with the value of the milk 
produced. 
Lactic acid causes curdling by neutra- 
lising the alkaline salis which keep the 
casein in solution. 
No breed of pigs shows such a marked 
capacity for early maturiug as the small 
white Yorkshire. 
Sell the inferior butter cows and begin 
breeding and filling up the vacancies with 
profitable ones. 
The dairyman who does not keep up an 
endless war against dirt will never maké 
the finest quality of batter. 3 
By milking the cow dry not only is the 
whole of the available milk obtained, but 
the richest part of it—the strippings—is 
secured, 
A mixture of equal parts of salt and 
charcoal is a good stomach corrective for 
pigs, and should always be kept available 
for them. 
M st cows will let down their milk 
better if allowed to feed during milking. 
Milk testing forms the only accurate 
and safe basis for judging the merits of a 
dairy cow. 
The milking habit is an artificial de- 
velopment or fuaction which has by no 
means reached its zenith. 
All experience seems to show that the 
best results are obtained when churning is 
done at a low temperature. 
The value uf keeping records of quality 
and quantity of milx produced by indi- 
vidual cows is almost inestimable. 
The careful and intelligent Dane secures 
as much milk from one cow as the aver- 
age Australian dairy farmer procures from 
two. : 
Dairying is made more attractive to 
the family by the adoption of cleanly 
methods and the provision of proper 
milking sheds and yards, 
