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82 QUEENSLAND AGRICULTURAT JourNAL. [1 JAN., 1898. 
Farm and Garden Notes for January 
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Tue principal work in the field during this month will consist in ploughing and 
preparing the land for future crops. Particular care should be given to 
destroying all weeds before they seed. This will save much cleaning afterwards. 
Maize may still be sown for a late crop. Sow sorghum, imphee, Cape barley, 
vetches, panicum or setaria, teosinte, rye, and cow peas, if the weather will 
permit. Early potatoes may be plarted whole, but they must have plenty of 
room, or they will be drawn up; and in any case such early plunting can only 
be looked upon as an experiment which may or may not be successful. 
Kitchen Garden.—The great heat of the weather during the present month 
will militate greatly against successful sowings of seeds; but with care much 
may be done. Shading and watering are the main points to be attended to. 
» Vegetable beds should be freely watered in the evening. <A. mere sprinkling is 
useless. The beds should receive a good soaking. Mulching will be found of great 
benefit, and also a slight dressing of salt. The mulch may consist of stable litter, 
tan, straw, or grass. All unoccupied land should be dug, and green refuse, such 
as cabbage leaves, turnip tops, &c., turned under, as they forma valuable manure. 
Heavy land should be turned over, the lumps broken roughly, as the exposure 
to the sun will greatly improve the texture of such soils. When the weather 
is favourable, sow I*rench beans, cress, cauliflower, mustard, cabbage, celery, 
radish, for autumn and winter use. Parsnip, parsley, radish, turnip, Brussels 
sprouts, carrot, peas, and endive may be sown, as well as a few cucumber and 
melon seeds for late crop; the latter are, however, not likely to succeed 
except in very favourable situations. Such seeds as cabbage, cauliflower, 
celery, &c., should be sown thickly in small beds under a light covering of 
canvas or brush, and the beds kept well watered until tre plants are strong. 
In favourable weather plant out cabbage and cauliflower. Gather herbs for 
drying. Gather onions, garlic, and eschalots as the tops die down. When 
planting out cabbage, &c., protect the plant from the sun for a few days until 
the new roots are formed. 
Flower Garden.—Sowings should be made in boxes under cover or in 
sheltered prepared seed-beds for early plants—cineraria, primula, gloxinia, 
calceolaria, pansy; for late bloomiug—Sweet William, calendula, balsam, 
gaillardia, zinnia, coreopsis, dianthus, &c. Tie up and stake all tall-growing 
plants. Dahlias that are in flower may be thinned out and tied to stakes. 
Weeds must be kept down, and, to keep up a good show of flowers, constant 
watering and attention will be necessary, especially if the weather is hot. 
Plant dahlia bulbs for late blooming, if nut already done; also make cuttings 
of any good variety from medium-grown wood, planting same in sandy soil 
under fair circumstances, thus getting nice healthy young bulbs for next 
season. 
