July 6—~The vegetable garden has, we fear, been rather neglected in these notes, and in thave days of high prices it should not be. First-class vegetables. require just as much cultural skill as the best flowers and they are not obtained without strict attention being given to details. The best vegetables are not necessarily the largest: the production of coarse and tasteless ones should be discouraged and steps taken to improve flavour and quality, Vegetables are grown fo be eaten, not just admired. Many vegetables taste better when young: but this does not apply to all. Parsnips and carrots are more fender when young. but they do not have the same flavour as matured roots. Onlons are generally mild when large and young potatoes have not the Same flavour as old ones: perhaps we enjoy them more, but it may be the mint favour that we like. Gaulifowere are much beter when young and so are.peas and beans, okra, turnips many other vegetables. However, fully-matured turnips, baked in the oven, havea better favour than young think 0. Vegetable garden: most unsuitable location the background, despite the fact that every ray of sunshine during Spring, Autumn and Winter, is important for successful vegetable cultivation. Preparation of ground. attention to Seedlings, thinning of crops, transplanting, staking and manuring are all important tasks this garden and we have only fo watch the market-gardener at work hoeing his crops, to understand how important this work is. A' lot depends on doing the right thing at the proper time. Strawberry crops are often failure through the runners being severed from thei parent plants too late in the season, The this Job s done the better; despite the "bye and bye can Go" yarns that we often hear, We ike to have all runners leading a separate existence before the end of June comes tong and we do not Uke the habit of planting plants in groups; it is hard to cover a group of plants with a basket during the fruiting Season and we cannot all afford to cover the beds with Ash nets—w..K, July 6—To continue our notes on vegetables. We find It diMeult at times to persuade let{uce seed to. germinate during the heat of August and we are compelled to get It started then if we are "to enjoy salads in early Autumn. The Frigidaire moy help us, however, seed may germinate on the bottom shelf and' many of the resultant, seed. Tings will survive if they are gradually "hard. ened" afterwards. They will not like being transferred direct from the coolness of the frigidaire to the heat of the midday sun. Cabbage Caulifowers, Brussel Sprouts and other crops for Tate Autumn use should have been sown by this: time, and in another two Weeks or so we expect' more bush beans. corn and endive will be sown s well ay a few carrots. Feeding: crops Iz most important here and a market gardener would never try to grow Egg Plants Meithout giving: them plenty of bean-cake oF rome other fertilizer. On the other hand, tomatoes do not ike a rich sell early in the season; fruit hes a nasty habit of dropping off it too much fertilizer is used too early. How. ever, oven if we give liberal treatment to some. crops, they do not like to remain too long in the same bed: they appreciate a change of ground. We try to royale crops if space is available and not grow the same crop in the same place year after year. It would not pay to grow cabbages always in the same place and it, for example, beans occupied the bed for a change. we should get better results. This "rotation of crops" business will be made much easier for us if we follow arrangements such as are given by leading growers. One of these arrangements ts the following:—Group Cruciferous crops (cabbage, cauliflower, ete), Group B, trious crops (peas and beans). Group C. Umbeltiferous crops (carrots, parsnips ete). Group D, Solancceous crops (Tomatoes and potatoes). Group E. Composite crops (lettuce, ete). Group E. Lillaceous crops (Onions, leeks, etc). Group G. Miscellaneous crops (Beetroot, spinach, ete.). it is unwise to follow a crop with another in the same group if space is available for a change; but there is every chance of better results If a plant in, say, group B. Is planted on the same bed that' was previously occupied by a member of group July 10-—1t Is a most interesting study to watch the Trumpet Vine attaching itself to dry walls' and posts, Plants are rather slow in becoming established, but once they have become settled in new quarters. It does not take them ong to grow into large specimens. Aerial roots grow from nodes all along the stems and they attach themselves very securely. to any support. It Is not easy to detach a young branch during its growing period, but, as 1s generally the ease with climbers, older branches are Hable to become loose: they are not so brittle as the Virginian creeper, but they will break if handled roughly, The Trumpet Vine has had more than share of names and it will be found under Tecoma, Bignonla and also Campels in. the various' gardening books. It is a beautiful dim liber and well-worth a place in every garden; 16 Mowers so profusely. We appear to have two [varieties in flower here at the present time, one being much more brilliantly coloured than, the other. The Trumpet Vine never looks better th when covering an old post, its flowering bran-iches hang so gracefully, the foliage is very attractive and the orange-coloured flowers do much to brighten up our gardens. The blackberry, that prickly inhabitant of English hedges, having a good season this yeat: there appear excellent crops in' those gardens where this berry is cultivated and quite good results in places where the plants are growing wild, [Nature 1s most accommodating as far as berried fruit is concerned! We hi of strawberries followed by the various varieties of raspberries oganberries, youngberries, Boysenberries a now blackberries, If they all bore fruit at the same tine. we should not appreciate them 50 much. Perhaps the blackberry is not such a favourite as the others mentioned: it may be foo common; but we feel that the home-grown produce being offered at §2 per pound in the country these days is not too expensive considering the prices being asked for most things.
Text read from the printed page and cleaned; old type leaves the occasional error.