IRISH GARDENING. 



79 



liardfned off, agaiuisi Walls or buildings having a 

 sunny aspect, or plantied on a warm border, and 

 stout stakes piit to each plant to secure them. 

 Excellent prodiice may be grown by anyone 

 possessing a cold frame, the glass ]n'otection being 

 greatly valuable onas\inless and dami> summer. 

 Plant at the foot of tlic frame and train u]» 

 bamboo or other supports above the ground, as 

 then the fruits are less lial)lc to be eaten by slugs 

 and other insects, also get much better coloured 

 than wheii the plants are allowed to grow on the 

 grou'nd. Eighteen or twenty inches is a fair 

 distance to allow betweeii each. 



Vegetable JNIarrows. — All manure heaps 

 avaihible should be planted with these, and where 

 such do not exist take out holes three feet in 

 diameter and fill with good, inanure, or the best 

 substitute, and cover ovei' with soil in which to 

 plant them. The plants previously sown in pots 

 and if raised inside must be well hardened oft" 

 before planting out when danger of frost is past. 

 Damp over during dry spells. 



Cauliflowers. — The maincrop will require 

 planting, and if two or more sites are a\ailal)le 

 with different aspects a fine succession will be 

 obtained from the one sowing. Eich ground is 

 necessary to produce good curds, and if the plants 

 can be put o\it with a good ball and planted with 

 a trowel, two feet six inches apart, very little 

 check will be given them. If watering is necessary 

 leave a slight depression in the soil near the plant 

 and pour water from the spout of a can without a 

 rose. 



Brussels Sprouts. — I'ractually the same 



' remarks apply to these as cU'scribed for the above. 



. excepting that a further distance apart will be an 

 advantage in gathering during bad leather and 



'. when the larger varieties are grown. For high 

 exposed situations Dwarf Gem is an ideal variety, 

 giving a good supply of fine sprouts, and growing 

 sturdy needs no support. The last season's 



I plantings are giving a good siijjply of green 

 vegetable at the present time, and very palatable, 

 and . few vegetables give greater retiirns. 

 Thoroughly firm when planting. 



Cabbage. — Work the lioe or Buco cultivator 

 between plantations planted out with spring 

 sown plants which wei'e sf)wn to supplement 

 those ruined by frost during the winter. Dustings 

 of soot are especially valuable. 



Celery. — If the ground this crop is to occupy 

 is vacant, trenches may be prepared after fir^.it 

 digging the ground. Break up the bottom of each 

 and add manure liberalh', and cover over with 

 fine soil in which to plant as becomes ready. 

 The ridges between the trenches may be cropped 

 with quick-maturing vegetables, such as Turnip, 

 Lettuce, Spinach and Dwarf Beans. Three feet 

 between each trench will not be too great a dis- 

 tance to allow for earthing-up later on. 



New Zealand Spinach. — ^This is a valuable 

 vegetable in the event of a really hot summer, 

 under which conditions this plant revels. As 

 it makes great growth, sow the seed a yard apart. 



Attend to the careful tlunning of root and other 

 crops piecemeal, and, though we cannot always 

 do as we would wish, showery weather, if possible, 

 should be chosen. Frequent dustings of soot 

 when the plants ai"e moist with dew are of the 

 greatest value. 



Hardy Fruit Garden. 



Strawrkkruos. -The surface of the beds should 

 be hoed during warm weather to destroy weed life, 

 and as late as possible before the litter is placed 

 around the plants, or much trouble will most 

 likely be occasioned, and before doing so a good 

 dusting of soot or lime will help to ward off 

 insi'ct pests. Place the litter close around the 

 plant. Failing clean straw, long stable litter will 

 do. as showers of rain and exposure to the sun 

 and air will cleanse it. In the event of late frosts 

 the litter may be shaken over the plants to 

 protect the blossoms. Plants in pots that have 

 been forced eaily in the year and are intended 

 for phniting out must not suft'er for want of water, 

 and will produce a useful crop of fruit the same 

 autumn. Fruit trees growing on walls fuUv 

 exposed to the sun soon suffer at the roots for 

 want of water, and where it is not possible to 

 water, keep the surface as loose and as fine as 

 can be by frequent hoeings and a light mulch of 

 strawy litter, but avoid heavy dressings of such 

 as cow manui'e, which, with a change of weather 

 are apt to keep the soil cold. Trees that <ropped 

 heavily last season and showed signs of deterio- 

 rating may l>e helped with nianure water of some 

 kind. Attend to the disbudding of .Morello 

 Cherries, so that as little pruning as necessary is 

 required during the winter months, and stop the 

 growths on Sweet Cherries with the finger and 

 tluunb to induce the formation of fruiting spurs, 

 and keep a sharp look out for aphis, syringing 

 the trees, and especially Sweet Cherries, with 

 Quassia or suitable wash as a preventive. 



The Flower Gardex. 



Clip box edgings before digging the beds. The 

 spring display this year will be later than usual, 

 so that every preparation should l)e made to be 

 able to pi'olong the one and arrange for the 

 reception of the summer blooming plants. Use 

 manure well decomposed when digging, and place 

 it as deeply down as possible, so as not to disturb 

 it when planting. During the present month, 

 harden oft" stocks of bedding plants, and continue 

 to propagate such plants in heat as Wrbeiuis, 

 Salvias, lleliotrope, ^cv., from the stock plants, 

 as the best results are obtained from young stuft" 

 that is growing freely aiul suffei's no check. 

 Polyanthus Arabis and other plants may be 

 temporarily laid in until the borders are made 

 ready for jjlanting them after division. Sow seeds 

 of \A'allflower. Sweet AVilliams, Canterbury Bells, 

 A:c. Forget-me-Nots can easily be secured in 

 quantity by heeling in a few old plants when in 

 full flower and raking down the soil to a fine tilth 

 around them. If birds are troublesome put a 

 piece of net over. Water Lilies may be replanted 

 this month. Old clumps are apt to become weak 

 in the centre. A fine aquatic, flowering before the 

 Nymphaeas, is Orontium aquaticum the Golden 

 Club. Give tiunneras a dressing of manure, and 

 remove flowering stems so as to concentrate the 

 plants' energy to the noble foliage. During the 

 earl.\ ]>art of the month guard the young: foliage 

 against late frosts. Plant out in the grass or 

 under orchard trees bulbs that have been forced 

 in i^ots or boxes, putting tlieui well down with 

 the spade. 



