in some measure be avoided. When sowing by hand, it is sometimes recommended, in order to prevent too thick sowing, to mix the seed with wood ashes or dry earth; this to many will appear a cumbersome method, and unnecessary. Too much emphasis cannot be put upon this fact: That, in proportion to accuracy in sowing, drilling, and good tilth of soil, a material advantage obtains in efficient handling of the crops subsequently. In drawing the drills out, it is preferable, other circumstances being equal, in order to give the ground the best advantage of sun heat (it being continually borne in mind that this is a purely summer crop that revels in warmth), that the drills should be struck out north and south, thus as far as possible giving the best conditions of sun heat for rapid development of the crop. This feature being attended to, it will have. some degree of advantage in the curing process, when the period for this work arrives. The sowing can be performed when the land is wet or dry. My own preference is to sow on dry soil, as then the machines work better; and as the seed is pretty hardy, it will keep, as I have found, for a couple of months awaiting rain to germinate: Thus the risk attending this crop is not nearly equal that pertaining to those crops of which the seed is expensive. The quantity of seed required per acre is about 6 lb., if dropped accurately. When dropping by hand, it will probably take more; and if the seed contains much immature or faulty grain, additional allowance must be made for this contingency. Care must be taken, if sowing with the machine, that all the seed is divided from particles of fibre and thoroughly separated; otherwise they clog the disc holes and thus prevent regular dropping, and, in addition, frequently germinate in clusters which dwarf the plants.

CULTIVATION.

The

The cultivation should begin almost immediately after sowing, as this plant is somewhat slow in appearing above ground. In suitable conditions of heat and moisture, it will usually be a week to ten days before the tiny spear protrudes. There is thus abundant time to set the harrows lightly skimming the surface to check such weeds as may be on the point of germinating. This service is performed by the harrowing, and is not of less importance than the benefit derived from the mulching process thus put into operation. advantage of running the harrow over the ground up to the last possible moment is emphasised by the fact of the slow development of this crop in its young stages. In comparison with such crops as maize, it is quite laggard in its growth at this period; hence, if this operation is neglected, the weeds will prove formidable before you can safely work the implements among the tiny plants. Farmers not accustomed to this crop will, perhaps, be apprehensive of this peculiarity, but there need be no alarm. If other conditions are right the young plant will soon assert itself, and in a very short time give every evidence of vigour. In using the harrow after sowing, care must be taken not to displace the seed in the drills; neither must this operation be performed when the young plants are near coming up.

Begin operations with the horse-hoe as early as it is possible to move through the rows without doing harm to the young plants-that is, as early as you can operate the implements without fouling the plants with excessive soil. The careful tiller, when doing his first cleaning, will so steady his machine and horse as to be able to slightly throw light films of soil as near the roots of the young plants as he dare. This plan is of value, as providing a slight mulch close to the roots, and to some slight extent checks the growth of summer grass, which at this period is, as usual, too obtrusive. In black lands this film of soil has its value, inasmuch as it tends to prevent that serious drought propensity of black lands to open or crack, as it invariably does under these conditions to a material extent by its mulching properties. In cultivating black lands, no condition needs more guarding against than this feature of cracking. I am of opinion that this evil can be materially avoided by the deep and frequent use of the horse-hoe among the rows, and is a phase of tillage that no farmer in dry seasons can afford to ignore. No farmer need expect to perform what may be fitly called

the fine arts of cultivation without efficient implements to do the work with; and, furthermore, no farmer can afford to operate without a modern type of implement. Having in view the Planet Jr. type of horse-hoe with its contracting and extending features, it will prove invaluable for cultivation close to the plants. The shovels and tines of this type of machine can be adjusted to minimise hand labour considerably. Not only can the active workman use this implement to hill up, but when necessary, often by intruding on a drill where the seed is too thickly set, he can to some extent, if quick and careful, thin out plants while moving along. A little observation will very soon indicate what tines or shovels to interchange in the horse-hoe to perform the most perfect cultivation. There are some soils so heavy and waxy that at times it is most difficult to get such light tools as the Planet Jr. to operate satisfactorily. This, however, rarely happens, and usually occurs by too long delaying the first cultivation, and thus the soil becomes hard, cracked, and difficult to break

Experience will soon indicate the advantage of having the drill drawn on symmetrical proportions; the opportunity for close cultivation to the plants, leaving but a thin line of unmolested soil in proximity to the roots, is sound evidence of practical work. This cleaning done with due care, as here suggested, will leave little or no hand labour to be done. This in itself is a considerable item when large areas are put in, or when farm labour is not always available. Although I have not invariably followed the custom, I quite hold that hilling the plants when they become 3 feet high or so--in fact, about the period of the last tillage operation--is to be recommended. The throwing up the earth, either with a light plough or with the shovel tines of the Planet Jr. set very angular, if the soil is loose, will do the operation satisfactorily. This will usually be the routine of cultivation needful for this crop. Surmising that the grower has thus far encountered a moderately favourable season, he will usually have arrived at the close of his tillage operations for the first crop; if the progress of the crop has been normal, the denseness of the foliage will be such as to preclude any further serious development of weeds, and the farmer's attention can now be concentrated on the next operation necessary—viz., that of "bending the broom-head."

PEA OR EARTH NUTS (ARACHIS HYPOGEA).

BY CHARLES BATTEN.

ABOUT three years ago, after reading an article on the above in the Scientific American, dealing with the cultivation of the peanut in the States of Virginia and North Carolina, I was induced to try its cultivation here (Pimpama) on a small scale.

The third стор I have grown is now nearly ready to be harvested, and, as I have an enforced idleness through illness, I consider it well to give my experience for the benefit of my fellow-farmers, whom I certainly cannot advise to go in heavily for the cultivation of the peanut, for reasons they will notice further on; still they will not ruin themselves by cultivating a small plot.

The peanut requires a very sandy rich loam -- if sandy scrub land, it will be all the better. The land should be as well cultivated as for potatoes, the drills struck out very shallow, 23 feet between the rows, and the beans or nuts dropped from 12 to 15 inches apart. Of course the beans must be taken out of the pod, as there are two and sometimes three in a pod, and care must be taken not to rub any of the skin off the beans before planting, as they are then apt to rot in the ground.

They can be planted in this part of Queensland during September, October, and November. The main and essential point to be observed, in order to get a good crop, is to plant just as the land is in a nice moist condition to effect

rapid germination. If the land is too wet, or if heavy rains come after planting, then the seeds rot, and of course fail to grow. Again, if the land is too dry, many will not germinate, and the crop is poor and uneven. With the first crop I planted, there were a few misses, owing to dry weather; the planting was late, being in November, but still the crop was heavy.

The second crop was planted in September, just as I thought a nice little shower had come to germinate them, but I was disappointed, for it set in dry, and there were many misses; yet even then I had a fair crop. With the present crop, which is not yet harvested, I managed to hit the right time, and it was a pleasure to see the dark-green rows after they came through the ground, looking so beautiful.

THE PEA OR EARTH NUT.

The land must be kept quite clean with scarifier and hoe whilst they are growing vertically; for immediately the stems fall over and send rootlets into the ground producing nuts, all cultivation must cease, weeds or no weeds.

The leaves of the plant are much like those of clover, but larger. The flowers are yellow. A farmer visiting me asked why I was growing clover in rows. I asked him if it was a clover flower on them, and he then saw his mistake. When the plants are well covering the land, a patch of peanuts is a sight worth looking at.

When the crop is ripe, which is about the time of the first frosts in this climate, the tops or haulms must be cut off with a reaping-hook (it cannot be done with a scythe), and taken away for fodder for horses or cattle, who eat it greedily. The plough is then run under the rows of roots, which are picked up with the nuts on them, to be thrown in small heaps to dry for a day or two. They are then carted away to some shed or barn to be picked over at leisure on wet days.

The above is, however, not one-third of the crop. The land must be harrowed and ploughed as many times as the farmer likes, with a small crowd of children following with baskets to pick up the nuts. By this means one-third more of the crop may be saved. The best way to get the other one-third is to let the pigs root over the field.

Once they get a taste of them, they will work hard at it all day, with the exception of intervals to get a drink. I adopted this plan with my first crop. I had some trouble in getting them to begin on the first day, but after that,

when they were let out of the yard, they could get there quicker than I could. I need not add that the land was thoroughly turned over, but, even with that overhaul, I was surprised in the following spring to see so many plants springing up which the pigs had missed.

It only remains now for the nuts to be properly dried, for, if left in a heap when first gathered, they are apt to sweat. Those that are on the main roots must be picked off by hand, and the whole well sifted to free them from sand. They are then ready to be bagged and sent away to market.

The weight of a bushel of nuts is 22 lb., and about 90 lb. can be got into an ordinary corn sack. The quantity I grew would amount to about 90 bushels to the acre, besides what the pigs had. The question will now be asked whether the crop is a paying one for a farmer to enter into, and I am sorry that I had to come to the conclusion that it is not, and I will explain why.

In Virginia, U.S.A., there are farmers growing 10 and 20 acres, and the fruits are in common use in all the great cities of America; hence there is a demand for them. Here there is no demand, although the oil extracted from them is equal to the finest in the world, and, in my opinion, is far superior to olive oil. But the people of Queensland do not know the nuts; or if any do know them, they just know they are eatable, and are quite ignorant of the many uses they can be put to.

The Farmers' Alliance in America places the minimum price the grower is to get for the nut at 3d per lb., and that price will pay; of course, if the price goes up, all the better for the farmer.

On the strength of the above, when my first crop was ready, I went to Brisbane determined to get not less than 3d. per lb. I went to the produce merchants at Roma-street markets, but none came there for sale, and they could not name a price, although I knew that the retailers were selling them at 8d. and 10d. per lb. I was recommended to try some of the largest fruiterers' shops, which I did, and I had a very weary time of it tramping about Brisbane. I would rather be working on the farm any day.

I did not get an offer for any on that day. On another occasion, a fruiterer said he would take a bag, and he asked me the weight of it. When I said about 90 lb., he seemed frightened, and said he meant a sugar-bag, which I refused to send him.

I then tried a Chinaman; he offered me 1d. per lb., but after much haggling I got 2d., delivered at his place. Asked how many bags he would take, he surprised me by saying, "Bringee all."

But my troubles were not over. I forwarded by rail, and then to my astonishment and disgust I found the freight came to about three times the ordinary rates.

On showing the consignment-note to John Chinaman, who could read English well, to my disgust he laughed at me, and showed me a consignment-note of nuts from his countrymen at Warwick; he had paid less railage from Warwick than I had paid from Nerang. Of course any who read this will wish to know how it is worked, but, instead of finding out from my own countrymen, I had to find it out from a Chinaman, and be called a fool by him in the bargain. It is very simple. Consign as ground nuts, not earth nuts, and they come under some other class. I asked "John" what he did with the nuts, and he told me that what was not sold in Brisbane was shipped to Thursday Island and China. I am of the opinion that it will pay a pig farmer to grow the nuts, provided he arranges for the pigs to do their own rooting. I am not a pig farmer, for I do not like the animals about the place. I consider the nuts cannot be grown and hand-cleaned to pay at less than 3d. per lb.― the minimum price in America.

MARKET GARDENING, No. 6.

BY H. W. GORRIE,

Horticulturist, Queensland Agricultural College.

SALADS.

IN every well-appointed garden a supply of salads should be always on hand, and this can be secured by planting a constant succession of suitable plants, each in its proper season.

The plants which may be used as salads are very numerous-beetroot, tomatoes, celery, and many others being largely availed of for this purpose. The common dandelion is in some European countries, and particularly in France, a universal salad; and several other plants, which are merely regarded as pests by us, are utilised by the thrifty French and Germans for the same purpose.

I propose to deal here, however, with those plants which are salads pure and simple, and are grown as salads and nothing else.

Of these, perhaps the most favoured and the most extensively cultivated is lettuce (Lactuca sativa), an annual plant which is a native of Southern Europe, Northern Africa, and Western Asia.

Our cultivated species of lettuce have all been evolved from Lactuca scariola, a variety which grows wild in each of the countries named. There are two distinct forms of lettuce now in general cultivation - the cabbage lettuce, which has round, closely-folded leaves, and flat firm heads; and the Cos lettuce, which has an upright habit of growth, with somewhat long and spoon-shaped leaves.

The Cos lettuce does not form a compact head, but by tying the leaves together at the top they can be made more tender and palatable than if left in their natural condition.

This variety obtains its name from the island of Cos, in the Grecian Archipelago, where it first originated.

Lettuce may be grown in the cooler parts of Queensland all the year round, but in the warmer districts its cultivation is attended with a great deal of trouble in the hot weather, and it will not attain the perfection then which it does in the winter. Whether in hot or medium districts, abundance of water is necessary to attain any measure of success. To keep a stock of lettuce always fit for use, a little should be sown once a month in a seed-bed, and planted out in good, rich, moist soil as soon as the young plants are large enough, which ought to be in 3 or 4 weeks after sowing.

They should be set out in rows about 18 inches or 2 feet apart, and about 1 foot between the plants in the rows. Where land is limited it is a good plan to plant lettuce out between cabbage plants. The lettuce will all be fit to use before the cabbages take up the whole of the space in the rows.

In order to have crisp, tender lettuce, the plants must be kept constantly growing and liberally watered in dry weather. Constant stirring of the ground around them with the hoe or cultivator will be of great help in keeping the plants on the move.

In hot weather lettuce is not so crisp as in winter, the heat rendering it somewhat tough, unless it is grown under a slight shade of some kind. In very fine, friable, loose soil the seed may be sown in summer if desired in the open ground, but if this is done care must be taken that the soil is not allowed to bake and become hard. Sow very thinly in shallow drills, and thin out to a few inches apart when the plants come up. Lettuce can be used in 6 or 7 weeks after sowing, and the plants should be about their best in 60 days.

ENDIVE.

Endive (Cichorium Endivia) is a species of chicory which is indigenous to the East Indies. It is a good deal like lettuce in appearance, and is a much esteemed salad worthy of being more extensively grown here than it is. Endive