I lO 



IRISH GARDENING. 



recommended for Celery. Plot holders who have 

 dug their Potatoes out of the lazy beds may 

 find the deep furrows. of value for growing either 

 of these crops. Vegetable refuse-^Potato and 

 Cabbage tops. <!tc. — can be placed at the bottom 

 mixing a little soil with them and treading it 

 down, then putting on a layer of peat moss 

 manure or raw manure about 3 inches deep, and 

 on top of this a little of the good soil from the 

 ridges, then, after rain, planting either Celery 

 or Leeks as desired. The Savoy Cabbages can be 

 planted on the ridges, but the outside rows should 

 not be closer than 15 inches to the trench, so as 

 to leave sufficient soil for the necessary moulding 

 or earthing operations later in the season. 

 Lettuce plants can be planted between these at 

 8 inches apart, as a catch crop. Where only a 

 few Turnips have been sown, some of the Potato 

 ground should be sown v.ith Turnips, such as 

 Model White, Veitchs Red (ilobe, A:c. These 

 should be sown thinly in rows, the rows being 

 18 inches apart, the resulting crop should prove 

 of use during the winter. 



Thinking of next year's supplies, and realising 

 that it is the early spring vegetables which are 

 often the dearest, plot-holders should sow one of 

 the extra early Cabbages, such as Sutton's 

 Harbinger, April or Flower of Spring, during the 

 latter end of July, from the 20th to the 20th, and 

 for northern districts a week earlier. 



The seeds should be sown thinly in rows about 

 8 inches apart, covering the seeds with half an 

 inch of soil. 



Spraying Potatoes, &c.— The maincrop 

 Potatoes should be sprayed for the second time 

 before the tops close in together : it will also pay 

 to spray Celery plants with lime of sulphur 

 solution, using one ounce to three gallons of watei'. 

 This will keep the C'elery leaf spot disease— which 

 often ruins a whole crop — in check and enable 

 the cultivator to produce good crops. Continue 

 to spray Onion and Carrot) plants with paraflfin 

 enmlsion or other mixtui'es in ordicr to keep away 

 the tiies — and resulting maggofs. Treat Celery 

 and Parsnips similarly whei'i? there i» a proba- 

 bility of attack by " celfery fly " or " leaf 

 miner. ' ' 



The biennial flowel^s, such as Wallflowers 

 and Sweet William, which were previously 

 sown, should be transplanted — during showery 

 weather — on well dug soil, and at 9 inches 

 apart. 



Water thoroughly such plants as need it, and 

 give to Sweet Peas occasional applications of 

 liquid manure. 



Fruit Plot. — Summer prune or " pinch " the 

 shoots of Apples, Pears, Plums, Eed and White 

 Currants, Gooseberries, &c. Water thoroughly 

 those trees which appear to be suffering through 

 dry soil conditions. Layer the " runners " of 

 Strawberries where new plants are wanted, and 

 remove all those not desired. 



An application of liquid manure will benefit 

 the plants for the succeeding season. 



W. H. J. 



The Month^s Work. 



Midland and Northern Counties. 



liv W. Ci. NiiAVi:, Cai'denei- to Liidy CNi'ill. 

 Shane's Castle, Antrim. 



The principal woi"k for the month in this 

 department is to see that the growing crops 

 do not suffer for the lack of moisture : plenty 

 of water, or, better still, if possible, weak 

 liquid manure. Peas filling will want plenty 

 of that, also a nice mulching of manure. 



Broad Beans. — Pinch out the points of 

 flowering plants and put some soil up to the 

 base to steady them. 



Kidney Beans. — Another sowing may be 

 made for final crop. Canadian Wonder is hard 

 to beat. A sowing of Early Peas may be made 

 at once on the off chance of sretting a verv late 

 dish. 



Now is the time to get winter and spring 

 crops planted : Broccoli, Borecole, or early 

 greens, also Savoy. An old Strawberry bed 

 suits Broccoli well : clear off the Strawberries, 

 and plant without digging. Ground where 

 early Potatoes have been dug suits Savoys or 

 any green crop. 



Leeks. — Plant maincrop in drills 15 inches 

 apart, making a deep hole with a dibbler and 

 dropping the plant to the bottom to ensure a 

 good blanched stem. 



Celery. — Complete the planting, and water 

 regularly ; dust the foliage with sand sprayed 

 with paraffin to prevent the fly attacking ; 

 that is also a preventive for Celery disease. 



Turnips. — Make small sowings this month, 

 one at the beginning and one towards the end 

 of the month — Orange Jelly or Red Globe. 

 Give the young plants as they grow a good 

 dusting with soot, it helps to ward off the 

 Turnip fly, especially if the weather is very hot. 



Sow Endive and Lettuce for winter use. 

 Prick off Lettuce plants on a northern border 

 to prevent premature running to seed. Make 

 a small sowing of Cabbage towards the latter 

 end of the month. A certain percentage of 

 this sowing might bolt, but as a rule you get 

 an extra early dish from it. 



Tomatoes, growing outdoors or inside, 

 require constant attention in the way of dis- 

 budding or taking away part of the leafage to 

 enable the fruit to get the benefit of the sun ; 

 at regular intervals water with liquid manure. 



Keep the hoe going between all the crops ; 

 one cannot emphasise that too much, as it is 

 death to the weeds and life to the crop. 



Fruit Garden. 



Apple trees will require attention, for most 

 of them are infested with maggot and web : 

 they should be carefully hand-picked and 

 thrown into the fire. In general, over all the 

 trees there is prospect of ,a large crop this year. 

 Pears, too, are fine ; see that they do not want 

 for nourishment, especially these growing on 

 walls. 



Summer pruning may be commenced about 

 the end of the month on the south walls with 

 Plums, Pears, «icc 



