Asparagus

The last cutting of the season should be made not later than the middle of June. Henceforth the plants should be allowed to grow unchecked, and a full bed in autumn will be all in favour of a satisfactory crop the following year.

Celery Leaf Maggot

Celery planting may continue as fast as ground becomes vacant. If the leaves should become marked by grey lines or light brown patches, they should be squeezed between the fingers, as a small maggot, hatching from an egg deposited between the upper and lower skin of the leaf by a fly, is feeding on the chlorophyll. In order to check further deposits, the plants should be sprayed with the soft-soap and paraffin-oil mixture recommended in case of Onion maggot in the first section of the present chapter.

Endive And Lettuce

The Green Curled Endive may be sown for use in autumn. Sow thinly in drills, and cover with half an inch of soil. More Lettuces may be sown, and plants that are getting thick in the drills from earlier sowings thinned.

Turnips

It is difficult to get nice, crisp Turnips in summer, because the plants are either riddled by the attack of a small black beetle, or run to seed. Some growers consider that moistening the seed in turpentine before sowing helps to keep the beetle at bay. I have not found the plan entirely efficacious myself, but it involves very little trouble or expense, and may be tried. The soil should be rolled after sowing, and the young plants dusted with soot in the early morning, while wet with dew. So far as running to seed is concerned, some varieties are not so much addicted to it as others. Red Globe and Green Round should be used for sowing in hot weather.

Vegetable Marrows

There is still time to plant Vegetable Marrows. Plants which were put in previously, and are now growing freely, should have a little attention if the shoots are becoming entangled, being trained quite clear of each other.