1 Jan., 1902.] QUEENSLAND AGRICULTURAL JOURNAL. 9 
they will all come up at equal distances, unless you use a seed drill. Now, 
light and air are absolutely necessary for the proper development of vegetables, 
and every plant should have its proper share of these. 
Beginners are very apt to sow peas and beans too close together. French 
beans should be sown in drills quite 2 feet apart, and 1 foot apart in the 
rows ; peas in rows 2 feet apart, but about 6 or 7 inches only in the rows. 
A very good rule is to keep all plants at such a distance that when 
full grown they just about touch each other. Nothing is gained by over- 
crowding. On thecontrary, the plants will not thrive, and disease generally 
follows over-crowding. So thin out radishes to 4 inches apart, turnips to 6 
inches, carrots to 4 or 5 inches. 
‘When sowing marrows, cucumbers, and melons, sow five or six seeds in a 
ring, in beds from 6 to 10 feet apart, and when they are well up thin them out 
to two plants. Pumpkins require much more room, and only one plant should 
be left. 
Now, just a few words on planting out. Take cabbages and cauliflowers 
first. The bed to which the young plants are to be transferred must be rich, 
moist, well-drained, thoroughly well tilled, and heavily manured unless your 
soil is naturally rich scrub or black soil. 
When transplanting, nip off the extreme ends of the roots, as this will help 
to make lateral roots. In rich soil plant them with a dibble from 2 to 3 feet 
apart, according to the variety. Press the soil firmly round the roots. The 
after work consists in constantly working the soil between them to get a mellow 
surface, the advantage of which is that the soil is kept warmer during the night 
and cooler during the day, and also a mellow surface confines a large quantity 
of air laden with moisture, according to the day temperature. During the 
night the vapour is condensed—that is, turned into water again, which goes down 
and invigorates the roots. If the surface is left untilled, the dew and moisture- 
laden vapour instead of going into the soil are evaporated by the early morning 
sun. 
The transplanting of celery is done differently. Having raised your plants 
from the seed, as soon as the rough leaf is a little advanced, make another bed 
by covering it with a couple of inches of well-decomposed manure, and digging it 
in with about 3 inches of soil. Then water it well, after smoothing the 
surface, and in the evening plant out your celery plants 6 inches apart. This is 
the first proceeding. Now get ready another bed by digging trenches 1 foot deep 
and 1 foot wide, 4 feet apart from centre to centre. Put about 4 inches of 
good manure at the bottom, and mix it well with the bottom soil. Then water it 
well, and also water the seedling bed, to which you transferred the young plants. 
Then take up each plant with a ball of earth attached to it, and plant them in 
the middle of the trench 12 inches apart, and water again. Keep the hot sun 
off them by a shade of some kind. They will be 8 or 10 inches high now. 
There is another operation yet to be done. You know that good celery is very 
white and crisp. Keep on mr aerne and manuring the plants with liquid 
manure not too strong, soapsuds, dishwater, &c., not forgetting to stir the soil 
between them. Then, when they are full grown, gather the leaves together 
and tie the plant up. This is to prevent the earth getting in whilst you 
fill in the trench, till only 6 inches of the head of the plants appear above 
the ground. This must only be done in dry weather. The celery being thus 
protected from the light remains perfectly white as to its leaf stalks, and is said 
to be ‘‘ BLANCHED.” 
Remember, when vegetables are ripe, gather them, even if you have no 
use for them. Peas, beans, cucumbers, marrows, &c., will cease bearing if the 
matured fruit is not taken off. 
Do not burn the weeds and decayed vegetables and plants. Hither 
dig them under or form a composr heap in a convenient corner of the garden. 
Put all the rubbish and kitchen waste into this heap. Water it with soapsuds, 
kitchen slop, &c. Puta little lime, or, better still, potash in it. Turn it over 
frequently, and by and by you will find all this rubbish turned into useful 
