February 1, 1909 
17 
EARLY LONDON CAULIFLOWER. 
The Vegetable Garden. 
Operations for the Month 
February is generally about the hottest 
-and driest month of the year throughout 
the State, except in some localities on 
the coast, It requires much ’perseverence, 
doubtless, in the dry places to raise 
vegetables of any kind, éspecially where 
water is scarce. Oonstant cultivation 
with the hqe, no matter how dry the 
-goil seems to be, will be most beneficial 
to the plants. One great secret in raising 
vegetables in dry weather is having the 
ground dug deep before the vegetables 
are planted or sown. When it has been 
-dug or trenched (say) 2 or 3 feet deep, 
the roots of the vegetables are enabled to 
penetrate to a great distance into the 
‘soil, and obtain moisture below the 
surface. 
Liquid manure, which can be made 
from the dung of animals soaked in 
water, is of great value for vegetables, 
but should not be used over strong, 
especially if it has fermented, in this case 
it should be considerably diluted with 
‘water, Experience will soon show the 
best strength to use if the effects of 
-yarious applications be noted carefully. 
Save all waste water from the house, and 
it will be found of much value when the 
water supply is short. If liquid manure 
“be used it should on no account be 
,poured over the leaves of vegetables, but 
be applied to their roots only. This can 
most easily be done by drawing away the 
soil, or rather by making a little shallow 
furrow or trench, into which the manure 
can be poured, and when it has soaked 
into the ground the soil should be 
There is but little 
trouble about this work, which can be 
effected very quickly with a hoe. 
In order to raise a sufficient supply 
of vegetables for transplanting later on, a 
good many different kinds of seeds must 
be’ sown, and some trouble should be 
taken to make suitable seed-beds or to 
prepare boxes or seed-pans in which to 
sow the seeds. Some stuff for shading 
will be necessary, 
Hrench or Kidney. — This 
vegetable may be sown to as great an 
extent as may be required. Make 
drills about 2 feet apart for tall-growing 
covered over again. 
Beans, 
varieties, and sow the beans about four 
inches apart in the drills, covering the 
seeds 1} inches deep. Those previously 
sown should be producing large quanti- 
ties of nice young pods in the pink of 
perfection, and if the pods are gathered 
whilst tender, the beans will produce 
A few 
plants may be kept for seed production, 
and from them ne pods should be 
gathered, but all should be allowed to 
ripen. Any old beans which have ceased 
to bear should be removed, and the 
more and more for some time, 
ground cleaned up, manured well, and 
made use of for anything other than fot 
plants belonging to the same order a8 
beans. 
Beet, Silver, or Spinach, is an excellent 
vegetable to grow. Sow a little seed in 
rows, and afterwards thin out the 
seedlings when they have attained a 
height of about 2 or 3 inches. It may, 
perhaps, be more convenient to sow in a 
seed-bed and afterwards transplant in 
much the same manner as is adopted for 
cabbages, &c. The soil for this plant 
should be heavily manured with well- 
rotted, rich manure, for the leaves, and 
not the root, is the part used as a vege- 
table. The rows in the permanent bed 
should be about 2 feet apart, and the 
plants should stand about two feet dis- 
tant from one another. 
- Borecole or Kale.—If desired make 
a small sowing. The seed may be 
sown in seed-beds or boxes, and the 
seedlings afterwards transplanted. The 
soil should be made rich with well-rotted 
stable manure. Plant in rows two feet 
apart each way. 
Broccoli.—A little seed should be 
sown either in boxes or a seed-bed, which 
should be shaded and watered, When 
the plants are strong and hardy they 
should be planted out, about 3 or 4 inches 
apart, in a small, well-prepared bed, in 
order that they may develop well for 
further planting out in their permanent 
places. — : 
Sprouts, — This really 
excellent variety of the cabbage is very. 
suitable for cool districts and should be 
grown wherever it will thrive. The 
seed should be sown in a box or seed- 
bed, and every care should be taken in 
watering and shading sufficiently. . When 
the plauts are large enough they should 
be moved to well dug up but not too 
heavily manured ground that has been 
prepared for them. The growth should 
not be too rank, aud the plants must not 
be forced, or else the young sprouts will 
not fori well. 
Brussels 
Plant in rows about two 
feet six inches apart. The plants to 
stand about two feet from each other in 
the rows. 
Cabbage. — Sow seed occasionally, 
not too much ata time, but just sufii- 
cient to keep up a continuous supply of 
