IRISH GARDENING. 



27 



.siiuuld be made as steep as possible but the 

 covering of soil should only be sutticieutly deep to 

 prevent the potatoes as they form from being 

 exposed to the air and light. 8nudl growers when 

 lifting a few potatoes at a time should lift alternate 

 plants or pairs of plants, or alternate rows, as may 

 be convenient, in preference to working straight 

 through the plot. By doing so the ground is 

 stirred and tlie plants tliat are left often bear a 

 luJ'ger crop in consequence, while an additional ad- 

 vantage is that cauliflowers, cabbages, broccoli, 

 Brussels sprouts, kale, <kc., may at once be j)lanted 

 in the vacant spaces or opposite them in the 

 furrows between the rows, it is desirable to lift 

 all potatoes as soon as ripe in order to avoid 

 disease. 



Vakieties to Plant. — The selection of the best 

 variety to plant is a matter of great importance, 

 and growers must to a certain extent be guided 

 by the experience of the tlistrict in which they live. 

 Some varieties of potatoes which do well in one 

 district prove disappointing in another, and 

 nothing but actual testing will prove whether any 

 new variety is worth planting locally. 



The following is a list of reliable varieties which 

 can be purcliased from most dealers. Preference 

 should be given in all cases to those which can be 

 guaranteed as having been grown either in a 

 northern climate, or for not more than one 

 year in the south of England. 



Earliest Varieties : — Epicure, Early Pxri- 

 ta>i. — These are round white-fleshed sorts. 

 Epicure is the best cropper. Duke of York, Mid- 

 lothian Early, May Quceu, Sharpens Express, 

 Ninety -fold.— AW are kiuney-shaped. The two first 

 are very similar ; they have yellow flesh and are 

 a,mong the earliest to ripen. The others are white- 

 fleshed varieties. May Queen is very early, and 

 is popular in the south-west. The two last named 

 are both very good croxjpers. 



Second Earlies : — Eclipse. — Often classed as 

 a first early. Good quality, and well suited for 

 the general purposes of a small grower who does 

 not wish to plant more than one kind. Royal 

 Kidney. — Useful on heavy soils. Not liable to 

 ordinary potato disease. British Queen. — A 

 strong-growing potato of first-rate quality, but 

 very liable to ordinary potato disease. (Should not 

 be planted in low-lying, damp situations. Con- 

 quest. — Suitable for land affected with wart 

 disease, as it is resistant. Winasor Castle. — Much 

 grown by allotment holders as an exhibition sort. 



Late \'arieties : — Sutton's Ahu}idance. — CJood 

 quality, well suited for garden cultivation, but 

 rather liable to ordiiuiry potato disease in wet 

 seasons. Everyood. — A useful variety for heavy 

 land, not subject to disease. Ki}i(j Edward VII. — 

 Much grown in the east and south of England and 

 one of the best late sorts. Up-to-Date. — A 

 vigorovis grower widely cultivated, of which there 

 are many strains {e.g. Dalhousie, Factor). A 

 change of seed from the north is specialy desirable 

 in this case. President. — A good late variety for 

 allotments. Golden Wonder. — Requires good 

 soil, liberal manuring, and should be sprouted 

 before planting ; does not contract wart disease. 



Allotment holders and others who must grow 

 potatoes on inferior clay soils under conditions 

 not well suited for the crop, should select vigorous 

 varieties, such as Epicure, Royal Kidney, Ever- 

 good, King Edward. VII and Up-to-date. — 

 Special Leaflet 18, Board of Agriculture. 



Suburban and Allotment Gardens. 



General Remarks. — In tlie last issue of Irish 

 Gardening I foreshadowed an extension of 

 allotments and an extension of British regulations 

 concerning allotments to Ireland. Since then the 

 Local (iovernment Board for Ireland have issued 

 a circular urging local authorities to proceed with 

 the development of town allotments and giving 

 them non-compulsory powers to do so. It is to 

 ])e hoped that this tardy recognition of the value 

 of allotments will be taken full advantage of and 

 that local authorities, backed up by land owners 

 anxious to do their bit at a reasonable rental, 

 will, in the course of the next few weeks, add 

 some thousands to the few allotments which exist 

 at present. 



It is interesting to note that Belfast still leads 

 the way in this campaign, and that without 

 \vaiting foi- a Local Government Board circular 

 had already decided to let portions of the parks, 

 including football grounds, golf links and cricket 

 pitches, for allotments. With this addition to the 

 alieady existing 1,500 allotments and quantities 

 of other ground (average rental of ground, -f*8 per 

 acre), it is hoped to bring the imml)er of allot- 

 ments in Belfast to well beyond .j.llOO Jiefoie the 

 season is finished. 



Work for the .Month. 



Soil Operations. — If an effort is made now to 

 immediately proceed with all digging, ti'enching 

 and manuring operations, including the surface 

 digging in of lime, at the rate of 1 ozs. to the 

 square yard, then when the time comes to sow 

 or plant — very soon now — the ground will be in 

 readiness. Complete the Sweet Pea trench if this 

 has not already been done, and proceed with the 

 digging over of such flower borders as have been 

 spared from the vegetable plot extensions. 



Rhubarb and Seakale. — Those who have a 

 few stools of either- rhubarb or seakale should 

 endeavour to force them into early growth. It is 

 the early bunches that are most expensive to buy. 

 If a few butter tubs, small barrels, large flower 

 pots. &c., are available, invei"t one over each 

 " crown " (or rhubai"b or seakale plant). Then 

 place over and around each receptacle a quantity 

 of strawy horse manxire — the fresher the better ; 

 if a trench is taken out all ai'ound each plant 

 about six inches from it, making the trench two 

 feet wide and one foot deep, placing some manure 

 in this also, then the forcing, as a result of the 

 heat given out by the fermenting manure, will be 

 still more rapid. 



Seed Soavino. — A start can be made with 

 parsnips and parsley as soon as weather and soil 

 conditions are at all favourable. I'arsnips, to be 

 grown well, require a long season of growth, a 

 thoroughly cultivated soil — two feet deep if 

 possible — witli manui'e at the bottom ; on no 

 account should fresh organic or farmyard manure 

 be placed near the surface for this and most other 

 taprooted crops, otherwise, on account of the 

 moisture which such material holds and the fact 

 that roots grow towards moisture and not away 

 from it, the lesulting roots will be badly shaped 

 and will probably prove unprofitable. A dressing 

 of wood ashes on the surface, about six ounces to 

 the square yard, will help the crop considerably — 

 Ijractically all crops which store up in their roots 

 or stems quantities of such food material as sugar, 

 starch, &g., are benefited by an application of 



