i Apri, 1902.] QUEENSLAND AGRICULTURAL JOURNAL. 309 
be a very small source of trouble, and winter begins on the 24th of June. If 
April and May are dropping seasons, however, the farmer must set all his 
resources to work to get rid of weeds which muggy, showery weather will produce. 
There is scarcely any crop which is of such great value to the farmer as lucerne, 
and it has the great advantage of being able to resist long spells of dry weather 
owing to its drawing nourishment from a great depth and from the air. For 
the dairy farmer and stockowner it is invaluable, and every effort should be 
made by all farmers who have a deep, rich soil to get in a few acres during this 
month. Another good stand-by is a root crop of some kind, such as mangels, 
Swedes, turnips, kohl-rabi, carrots. These are ali extremely serviceable for 
feeding stock. Although the last two months are a better time to sow Swedes, 
still they may be yet sown. Take every opportunity of providing for winter 
feeding of stock by chaffing all kinds of green fodder into the silo. Where no 
silo exists a stack may be made. 
Coffee-gathering should be proceeded with vigorously. Transplant straw- 
berries ; 6,000 plants are required for ] acre. In some localities strawberries 
will have been transplanted in March, when the fruit is ready to gather in April. 
Kircurn Garpen.—A good supply of winter vegetables should now be in 
a forward state, and should be encouraged to develop themselves by frequent 
stirring of the surface. All early-planted cabbages and cauliflowers must be 
earthed up. Plant out cabbages and cauliflowers, and sow for a succession, 
although it is almost too late in the season to sow cauliflowers, unless ina very 
rich, deep, well-worked soil. Sow peas and broad beans. If the weather is 
very dry, soak them in tepid water tor about twenty-four hours before sowing. 
Sow full crops of carrots, parsnips, beets, turnips, kohl-rabi, radishes, lettuce, 
cress, spinach. As you plant out keep on sowing so as to get a full supply 
during the winter and spring and well into the summer. 
Make plantings of asparagus and rhubarb, or if not ready, prepare the 
ground by trenching or subsoiling and well manuring. Full instructions for 
asparagus growing are given in this Journal (Vol. IL., page 322, and Vol. IN, 
page 159). 
7 hop sowing parsnips, sow in rows 2 feet apart, thin out afterwards to 8 
or 9 inches in the rows. Depth of soil is of the utmost importance, therefore 
either trench or plough very deeply. The crop should be ready in about 100 
days after germinating. 
When planting out asparagus, put plenty of manure at the bottom of the 
trenches, because once the bed is planted you cannot manure below. 
Frowrr Garpren.—Now will the flower garden give evidence of the care 
or want of care you have bestowed upon it. It should be gay with roses and 
many kinds of choice flowering plants and annuals. With a little care you may 
keep up this state of things during the whole winter and spring. If you have 
not already sown annuals do so at once, and to make up for lost time give the 
soil a little top-dressing of some well-decomposed fertiliser. Choose showery 
weather for sowing seeds in the open, and to ayoid failures do not neglect 
mulching. Before this month is over you may fill up vacant places with roses and 
ornamental shrubs and trees, such as poincianas, poinsettias, lagerstroemias, 
jackarandas, magnolias, camelias, azaleas, gardenias. ‘I'ransplant soft-wooded 
plants such as petunias, verbenas, penstemons, &e. Cut back and prune all 
trees ready for digging. ‘Take up dahlia roots and plant anemones, iris, ixias, 
freesias, narcissus, snow flakes, and you may try hyacinths and tulips, but with 
little hope of success. ‘Towards the end of the month prune the roses and 
plant the cuttings in a shady bed. Fork in the mulching, remove all shades and 
screens from the plants, and keep the hoe going on the walks. 
We would remind our readers that our Farm and Garden notes refer, in a 
great measure, to the coastal country, and that notes for May, June, and July 
then would, on the Darling Downs and parts visited by heavy frosts, be more 
suitable for July, August, and September. For wheat, cereals generally, root 
and grass crops, however, they are as suitable for one part as for another. 
