August 2 1909 THE AUSTRALIAN GARDENER. 15 
ee - ———— 
‘-RUMSEY’S OUR OFFER. a The A.B.C. Oress and MusTarp. 
A Sample Packet containingye mixture of Sow for succession about once a fort- 
of 50. varieties of Tomatoes, large and ENG ag CRE : hy : 
| HONEST small, yellow, red, and purple, or a mix- AUSTRALIAN night in light rich soil in drills half an: 
ture of 100 sorts of Flower Seeds, and a VEGETABLE inch deep and 8 inches apart, and sow 
‘SEEDS copy of our Vegetable, Book. all post paid GROWING, thickly. 
for 1/6. 
HERBERT J. RUMSEY, 
44 Adderton Road, Dundas. 
CATALOGUE FREE, 
By H. J. Rumsey. 
1/2 post free. 
| The Vegetable Garden. 
Operations for the Month. 
—_—_—— 
This. is .another preparation month. 
There need be no.idle time in August if 
_ your ,vegetable garden, has any preten- 
sions to size,.as every inch not turned 
over should, be,dug. 
— Trenching, — 
Vegetables cannot be grown with any 
success in soil that has not been deeply 
trenched and made rich with manure. 
Those who intend to cultivate a plot 
during the coming Spring should set to 
work at once, while the weather is favor- 
able, and do the necessary trenching. 
“There are two kinds of trenching. They 
are known as ordinary trenching and 
bastard trenching. When the former is 
given effect to the earth in each trench 
is turned upside down. It causes: the 
subsoil to be brought to the surface and ~ 
the topsoil to be turned underneath. 
That kind of trenching suits loamy land 
where there is little or no difference in 
the soil for a number of feet in depth. 
Where the subsoil is clayey in character, 
and clearly defined as distinct in com- 
position from that of the surface layer, 
ordinary, trenching must be, avoided. It 
‘should be worked by the system known 
as bastard trenching. The adoption of 
this method results in the soil being 
- stirred as deeply as possible, and at the © 
same time retaining each layer in its 
natural position. Bastard trenching is 
done by opening a trench two feet wide 
at, the edge of the plot. The surface - 
layer taken out should be wheeled to the 
further side where a finish is to be made. 
The underlayer of soil should be stirred 
‘toa depth of not fess than 30 inches. It 
should te thrown out of the trench so 
as to permit of a thick layer of well 
rotted stable or farmyard manure being 
placed in the bottom. ‘When that has 
been done the subsoil must be thrown back 
to its position. The surface layer from 
the second trench may be placed on the 
top part of the: first trench to replace 
that which was removed to the furtber 
side of the plot.. Hach. trench may be 
‘similarly dealt with. The earth taken 
. from the. first trench will form the top 
layer:of the last, | Wien land is trenched 
and manured in the manner described its 
texture is improved and it is made fit to 
grow any kind of vegetable or root crop. 
In addition to trenching, adequate 
drainage must also be attended to. 
— The Hot-Beds. — 
Hot-beds that were formed last month 
will require attention. The almost con- 
stant rain tends, to reduce the tempera- 
ture, and fresh linings of manure are 
necessary, 
JERUSALEM ARTICHOKE, 
Plant more tubers if required in rows 
3 feet apart and 1 foot in the rows. 
Sitver Bret. 
Sow, a little seed. in rows, and after- 
wards thin out, the seedlings when , they 
have attained a height of about 2 or 3 
inches. ; 
Broccott. — 
Seed. may be sown in small beds. or 
seed-boxes, and theseedlings transplanted 
when the young broccolis are large 
enough. Sow thinly. in little drills. 
CARROT. 
More seed may be sown if needed. Sow 
in rows two feet apart; make several | 
successive thinnings, until the young 
plants stand from 4 to.7 inches. apart, 
according to the variety. 
CUCUMBER. 
The cucumber is not very particular as. 
to soil,.so that it be light, rich. and 
loamy ; it may. be nearly all sand. pro- 
vided that good rich manure. be, added, 
and that it be deeply dug. ‘The cucumber- 
bed needs shelter from the westerly .winds.. 
~The. pits, or, as some. call, them, _ hills,. 
should be made ready during this month, 
in the following manner :— 
. Mark off the land. in, 6-feet, squares, 
and at each intersection make a hole 2 
feet in diameter. If, the, soil be not. 
naturally rich, mix with it a, compost 
made up of well-rotted stable manure,. 
sheep or poultry dung, wood ashes, bone- 
dust (if procurable), and a little salt. 
Fill up the hole with this prepared soil,. 
and sow five or six seeds in it in a ring. 
Half an inch is deep enough for the- 
the seeds. When they are up. take out. 
all but two plants in each hill. Stop all: 
lateral runners as soon as they show 
fruit, and the secondary runuers must be 
pinched back to the fruit in the same- 
manner, If the weather is dry, give the 
beds a good soaking with diluted liquid 
manure about once a week. » Water every 
evening sufficiently to damp the soil. 
right down to the roots. 
To produce. straight) cucumbers, place- 
under them three-sided boxes 3 inches 
wide, with the open side uppermost. 
A good way of watering cucumbers to 
ensure the water reaching the roots is, as. 
soon as they show signs of running, to 
dig a hole large enough. to hold a quart 
can, and place, it in the holes,near the 
roots.of the;plants. Put the cans in the- 
ground, about 2 inches deep, and fill 
. them with water eyery other. day. 
Cucumbers should be picked when just. 
about full grown, before the seeds fill out.. 
and always. before any signs of ripening 
_set.in. 
Cucumbers are ready for use in, from 
65 to 100, days.. 
‘Eaq Prant. 
This excellent vegetable was described 
in our last issue. You may, commence: 
