604 - ‘QUEENSLAND AGRICULTURAL JOURNAL. [1 Dec., 1899, 
by the new year. We would again impress upon farmers, particularly on 
new beginners, and on those who are entering on wheat cultivation for the first 
time, to take heed to the lessons given, not only in this Journal, but in most 
good agricultural papers, on the proper methods for saving the crop. We do 
not here enter into the question of the relative superiority of stripper v. reaper 
and binder. The question now is not one of the value of certain classes of 
machinery, but it is the important one of dealing with the crop when these have 
done their work. Barley should be allowed to become perfectly ripe before 
cutting (see article on barley in the Journal, Vol. I1., p. 480, June, 1898), yet 
not over-ripe, or grain will be lost. It should be at once stooked—and care- 
fully stacked—especially as there is a probability of showery weather shortly. 
Maize may still be sown in large areas. Sow sorghum, imphee, Kafir corn, and 
panicum, Arrowroot, ginger, and sweet potatoes may be planted. Attend to 
tobacco. Keep all crops clean, and thin out if too close planted. 
Kitchen Garden.—French beans may still be sown in moist weather, or, 
where plenty of water is available, the drills may be well soaked before sowing 
the seed. Cucumbers, melons, marrows, &c., should be well watered when 
necessary with liquid manure. Cucumbers should always.be well watched to 
see that none become ripe, unless wanted for seed. As soon as they begin to 
ripen, the vitality and bearing capacity of the plants are very much weakened. 
Seeds of all these vegetables may still be sown for succession. Tomatoes should 
now be in full bearing. The plants ought to be supported in some way, either 
by strings on stakes or by propping up with small branches like pea-sticks, By 
this means the fruit is easy to gather, and is kept clean. Onions should now 
be ready to take up and store. They ought to be spread out thinly in a dry 
open shed until the tops wither sufficiently to pull off easily; then graded into 
sizes, and sent to market or stored in a cool dry place. Maize: The sugar or 
sweet varieties of maize ought to be grown as summer vegetables. These are 
well adapted for table use, and ought to be more extensively used than is the 
case. It is unnecessary to say anything about their cultivation. Salads: It jg 
almost too hot in most districts to grow lettuce or other salad plants now, unlesg 
an unlimited water supply or some little shade can be obtained. 
It may be worth while to mention, for the benefit of those who grow no 
vegetables, that the weed commonly known as “fat hen’? makes an excellent 
table vegetable if cooked in the same way as spinach, which it then very much 
resembles in taste and appearance. ; 
Flower Garden.—The chief work in the flower garden now consists of 
watering, stirring the soil, and removing decayed and spent flowers. Roses 
especially should have all spent flowers regularly cut off, as their blooming 
season will be thereby considerably lengthened. If aphis or Rose Scale make 
their APpeRrace, spray with kerosene emulsion, taking care that the spraying 
is not done on very hot dry days, but in the early mornings or evenings, 
Chrysanthemums now require a good deal of attention, such as staking, 
pinching, &c.; and frequent waterings with weak liquid manure should be 
applied. It will be found of great benefit to the plants to syringe them oyer- 
head every afternoon que before sundown. No suckers should be allowed to 
grow until the plants have ceased flowering ; and caterpillars, aphis, &¢., must 
be watched for and destroyed. Dahlias will require plenty of water, and an 
occasional dose of liquid manure. They should also be kept staked up and well 
supported to prevent their stems from being broken in windy weather, Bulbs 
which have finished flowering should have the dead leaves removed, and when 
quite dried up should be taken up and stored.. Keep weeds well under 
command, as the plants usually require all the moisture in the soil at this 
season, and cannot afford to be robbed of any portion of their nourishment by 
weeds. 
