142 



IRISH GARDENING. 



Allotments. 



Work on the allotment this month will consist 

 mainly in harvesting the crops, in generally 

 cleaning out accumulating rubbish — yellowing 

 Cabbage and Sprout leaves and other foliage — 

 along with weefls. &c. 



Potatoes which have only been sprayed once 

 or not at all will probably be showing signs of 

 blight, which has developed rather alarmingly on 

 some of the Dublin allotments. All mid-season 

 varieties, such as British Queen and Windsor 

 Castle, etc., should be dug as soon as possible, as. 

 apart from the danger of blight (with the ground 

 as moist as it is at present), these have a tendency 

 to commence growing anew, forming baby 

 Potatoes and useless shoots, with a resulting loss 

 of food material. Where there is a large quantity 

 of such varieties the tubers should be partially 

 dried, by exposure to wind and sun, for a few 

 hours only, and then stored in boxes or bags in 

 a dark, airy shed. If the late kinds are not badly 

 blighted they should be again sprayed, Init if the 

 foliage has "died down they should be lifted 

 immediately and stored, as recommended above, 

 or in a clamp made by marking off a space about 

 three feet wide on a high part of the ground and 

 placing the Potatoes on it to form a ridge about 

 three feet high and sloping upwards like the roof 

 of a house ; a trench should be then dug around 

 the heap at about 12 inches from it, taking out 

 sufficient soil (which should be comparatively 

 dry and free from manure) to forn.i a layev about 

 eight inches deep all over the heap.. This can be 

 thatched with straw if a severe winter is antici- 

 pated. It will be advisable to examine the heap 

 occasionally, more especially when disease has 

 been present, to see that the tubers are in good 

 condition. In gathering the tubers for storing 

 purposes all bruised, damaged or diseased 

 specimens should be placed aside, and where 

 " seed " is required tubers about the size of eggs — 

 weight from 2-2 1 ozs. — should be reserved for 

 sproiiting later on. 



Proceed to harvest the spring sown Onions as 

 recommended last month, also dig out carefully 

 Beetroot and Carrots which have reached 

 maturity ; twist oft the tops of the former,leaving 

 about two inches of the stems above the roots, 

 and cut the foliage of the latter quite close to the 

 root ; store in layers in slightly moist sand in an 

 airy shed. 



Seeds of Cabbages, Cauliflowers, Winter 

 Spinach, Lettuce and ScaUions or Onions for early 

 sumuier use can still be sown, also Brussels 

 Sprouts. Bed Dutch and Savoy Cabbage, these 

 latter will provide large and early specimens for 

 next autumn (1918) if such are wanted. 



Celery and Leeks should be again earthed-up as 

 directed previously,at least six inches of the stem 

 being covered at this season • also hoe the ground 

 around Cabbages, &c., and draw a little of the 

 soil against the stems of the plants. Plant out 

 early in the month in rows two feet apart, with 

 the individual plants at 12 inches (alternate 

 plants to be cut out very early in spring), on well 

 manured andlimed ground, a quantity of Cabbages 

 from the early or first sowing, and late in the 

 month a second batch should be jilanted. 



Flowers. — Transplant as soon as possible 

 flowering plants sown in the early summer. If 

 early Sweet Peas are desired for next season, 

 make a small sowing of suitable varieties about 

 the second week in September. Prepare a trench 



by digging out to the depth of two feet or more, 

 and placing at the bottom Potato tops and other 

 vegetable refuse, then adding a little soil and 

 straw horse manure, towards tlie top place a 

 little rotted manure, and mi^ in with the surface 

 soil any wood ashes and lime rubble which may 

 be available (from 4-8 ozs. per square yard), also 

 a dressing of basic slag, about 4 ozs, to the square 

 yard. The seeds should be sown a little thicker 

 than usually recommended for the spring sowing, 

 on account of the greater danger of damage by 

 means of pests, weather conditions, etc., and at 

 a depth of 1-2 inches. Bulbs for indoor cultiva- 

 tion, sucli as Daffodils, Tulips and Hyacinths, 

 should be potted towards the end of the month 

 or the beginning of October. 



W". H. J. 



The Month's Work. 



Midland and Northern Counties. 



By AV. G. Neave, Gardener to Lady O'Neill. 

 Shane's Castle, Antrim. 



Kitchen Garden. 



Potatoes. — Mid-season varieties should be lifted, 

 and the tubers stored as soon as possible. Unless 

 there is a good potato house, the tubers are 

 better stored in pits in the open; see that they 

 are perfectly dry before the final covering of soil 

 is placed over them; a layer on top, of fine mesh 

 net wire will prevent rats making their way into 

 the pit, for it is not alone what they eat, but the 

 injury generally starts a rot inside, which affects 

 the whole i^it. If it is necessary to save seed 

 tubers, they are better exposed to the sun for a 

 few days, then placed in a dry shed where they 

 will get plenty of air. 



If the haulm of late varieties is still green the 

 tubers are better left in the ground until 

 thoroughly ripe. Potatoes, on the whole, in the 

 North are looking remarkably well, and the early 

 varieties are digging well. 



Lettuce. — Plants raised from seeds sown in 

 August are ready for transplanting on an early 

 ))order, where protection may be afforded them 

 througli the winter. 



The same remarks apply to Endive. 



Spring Cabbages. — A very important crop in the 

 early spring, and the earlier they are the more 

 their value — the seeds sown in July should be 

 planted this month on an early border; if pos- 

 sible, if the border is dry, plant them on the 

 level, if wet soil, plant on raised drills, as damp 

 is what kills them through the winter. 



Cauliflowers. — Prick out seedlings to stand 

 the winter in frames, and avoid coddling them too 

 much; give them plenty of air. 



Onions.— Let the bulbs that have reached 

 maturity be pulled and laid out on the ground 

 or walk where they will get plenty of sun, after- 

 wards finish and clean off in an open shed 

 where they can be hanked or laid out on shelves; 

 or an old hay loft is an ideal place to store onions. 



Celery. — Early in the month earth up main 

 crop. The rain we have had lately has greatly 

 improved the main crop, and it looks well. Before 

 earthing up remove all side shoots and decayed 

 leaves, dust plenty of soot and lime round them; 



