4 THE AUSTRALIAN GARDENER. 
The Vegetable Garden. — 
CUSTARD MARROW—WHITE AMERICAN. 
Operations for the Month. 
In many parts of the State spring may 
be said to begin, but in colder parts the 
weather is still wintry, and frosts fre- 
quently occur. Take every opportunity 
of destroying young weeds, for many of 
the worst of them begin to grow about 
this time of the year, and the best chance 
to get rid of them is to teckle them whilst 
they are quite young. ‘ 
Take every opportunity ro prepare for 
spring sowing and planting, for during 
next month nearly all the tender sorts of 
vegetables may be sown, even in the 
coolest climates. Make a thorough 
clering away of rubbish, such as old cab- 
bages, peas, and useful vegetables of all 
sorts. When these have been cleared 
off, spread a good dreasing of manure and 
dig it in, taking care to dig the beds as 
evenly and level as possible. Nothing 
can be worse than a bed all heaps and 
hollows, and it requires but little prac- 
tice to dig well if proper attention is 
given to it and the work be uot too much 
hurried. During the month the following 
vegetables may be planted and sown :— 
Asparagus — Roots had better be 
planted as soon us possible, because be- 
fore long, and especiall; in the wermer 
parts of the State, the buds or shoots 
will begin to start into growth. 
Artichoke, J erusalem—Before lt is too 
late obtain some tubers and plant them 
out in trenches made about 6 inches 
deep and 3 feet apart. Drop the tubers 
along these trenches about one foot 
apart and cover with fine soil. The 
ground, before msking the trenches, 
should be well dug and drained, and well 
manured. " 
Beans, French or Kidney—As this isa 
vegetable generally well liked and com 
partively easy to grow when the frosts are 
over a few should be sown in the warm 
parts of the State. Where there is danger 
of frost it is not worth while risking the 
sowing, as the vegetable is tender and 
cannot stand frost. 
Beet. Red—Sow seeds in drills 18 
inches apart, and about 1 inch deep. 
Cover the seed by hand with fine soil and 
firm down with the back of a spade. 
When the plants come up and are three 
or four inches high, thin them out by de- 
grees to about nine inches or even a foot 
apart. 
Beet, Silver—Manure the ground well 
with farmyard dung and then sow the 
seed in the same way as directed for red 
beet. Thin out the plants weil to about 
18 inchts apart, and keep them free from 
weeds. 
Broccoli, Brussels Sprouts, Cabbage, 
Cguliflower, Savoy — These vegetables 
require much the same treatment and 
are therefore classed together. They bo- 
long to the same family, but have been | 
altered by selection and cultivation. 
Make small seed beds, digging the soil 
fine.and keeping it as level as possible. 
Sow a little thinly in small drilis about 
2 inches apars. 
broccoli, cauliflower, and Savoy will be 
The Brussells sprouts, © 
August 1, 1908 
found to succeed best at this season of 
the year in the coldest parts of the State. 
When plants are available. they may be 
planted out from 2 to 3 feet apart, ac- 
cording to the richness of the soil. The 
richer the soil the wider apart the plants 
should stand. The ground should be well 
dug and well manured. In order to pro- 
duco good cabbages, cauliflowers, etc., the 
seedling plants should be lifted carefully 
from the seed beds, taking care not to 
break their roots. They should then be 
planted carefully, kept well weeded, and 
well cultivated frequently. 
Celery.—Sow some seed in a small 
carefully prepared seed bed or in a box 
of good fine soil mixed up with some old 
dung. When the plants have grown to a 
height of about two inches move them to 
a small bed which has been well pre- 
pared and the soil made fine. Then plant 
ont in this bed about three inches apart 
the young seedlings when they have 
grown toa height of about 2 or 3 inches, 
and they will develop into strong sturdy 
plants, ready for transplanting into 
trenches. Celery needs abundance of 
manure and good supplies of water. 
Cardoon—If plants can be obiained 
they may be planted out at the present 
time or later on in thespring. If no 
plants are avilable seed must be sown, 
Plant about 3 feet apart each way. The 
usual method of blanching the leaves is to 
tie all the leaves together some time be- 
OKRA, O& GOMBO. 
fore the vegetable is required for use and 
tie bagging. or, better still, straw round 
the whole. The soil should be made rich 
by. heavy manuring, and the grouund 
should be trenched. The cardoon is ex- 
cellent when stewed like celery, the 
centre or heart only being used and not 
the grosser outside leaves, which, though 
they may be well blanched. should be 
rejected, During the cooking process let 
the water used to boil it in be abundant, 
in view of removing a somewhat bitter 
flavor when badly cooked.” 
Celeriac, or Turnip-rooted Celery.— 
This is a variety of the ordinary celery, 
but the root has become, by cultivation 
and selection, like a turnip in appearance 
and this turnip-like root is used instead 
of leaf-stalks. It is a useful vegetable, 
especially for soups and stews and can be ~ 
easily grown, The soil should be rich, 
well manured, rather moist and light, 
