Beans

More Runners and dwarf French Beans may be sown. Broad Beans may be in full bloom; if so, a sharp look-out should be kept for black fly in the growing tips, as it appears about the time that the plants are in flower. Directly it is seen, pinch off the tips and destroy them. See that early crops of French Beans grown in houses do not linger on in a moribund state, and get covered with red spider, or it may spread to the fruit. Gather the pods as fast as they come into use, and remove the plants directly they cease cropping.

Early Broccoli And Brussels Sprouts

Early varieties of Broccoli grown for use in autumn, also Brussels Sprouts, may now be planted out if there is a piece of ground at liberty. A few forward rows of Peas or Potatoes will sometimes make room for them. The ground should be made firm. Two and a half feet apart all ways will not be too much.

Celery

Where ground is at liberty, a trench of Celery may be prepared in the manner previously advised, and planted. Give a good watering afterwards, and shade the trench if the weather is very hot.

Rosette Colewort

This useful little Green is very good for sowing on any piece of spare ground in the kitchen garden in early June. It is neat and compact in growth, and therefore will do a foot apart.

Late Peas

A last sowing of Peas may be made, if there is ground available. It is a good plan to draw a wide drill three inches deep, and give it a soaking of liquid manure before sprinkling in the seed.

Leeks

Plants raised in March or April will now be strong, and may be planted nine inches apart in drills six inches deep and eighteen inches asunder. The soil ought to be deep and rich.

Hoeing

Regular hoeing will be needed to keep down weeds, and there is a further incentive to practising it in the fact that by crumbling the soil it prevents cracking and checks the escape of moisture. I believe that I have already mentioned the Sproughton hoe. This somewhat expensive but valuable tool is a great aid to rapid work. It may be used in all cases where a Dutch or push hoe is applicable, and in part also where a draw hoe would be used, but is not a good substitute for the latter where a mat of strong weeds has to be chopped out. Cucumbers in Frames ought to be growing rapidly now, and it helps to keep them moving if the frame is closed about 4 P.M., as this bottles up heat, and keeps the frame warm throughout the night. A good watering should be given at the time of closing, as this maintains a moist atmosphere, which is favourable to healthy progress. The principal shoots should be pegged down to the bed at a sufficient distance apart to prevent crowding. Fruit will form on the side shoots, which should be pinched a leaf beyond the fruit.

Fig. 41. - Training Frame Cucumbers.

a. Hotbed. b. Soil.

c. Raised mound of compost.

d. How to stop the plants at the dark lines.

e. How side shoots will then grow and bear fruit.

Carrot Maggot

If any plants in the Carrot bed are seen to be turning rusty, they should be removed and burned, the bed thinned, the soil trodden firmly against the crowns, and some ashes, moistened with paraffin oil, sprinkled between the rows. The trouble brewing which comes from a small maggot that hatches from eggs laid at the tops of the roots by a fly, will then be checked.

Onion Maggot

Young Onions go off in very much the same way as Carrots, also from the attack of a maggot, but this results from eggs laid on the leaves. The foliage should be rendered distasteful to the egg-laying fly by spraying on a paraffin-oil and soft-soap emulsion, made by boiling a pound of soft soap in a quart of water, stirring in half a pint of paraffin, and churning all up together with a syringe in a tub containing six gallons of water.