30 



IRISH GARDENING. 



Parsriij)s. — The ground intended for this crop 

 having been trenclied early in the winter, should 

 now be forked o\'er as soon as the soil is dry 

 enough to nerniit the operation : then allow it to 

 dry enough to be levelled with the roke. The 

 drills should be drawn IS inches apart, and the 

 seeds sowii thinly : if extra fine roots are desired 

 holes niay be made with a crowbar and filled 

 with finely-sifted soil, sowing a few seeds where 

 each hole has been made. Soot and wood ashes 

 make an excellent dressing for parsnips. Celery. — 

 A small sowing of some early sort should be made 

 about the end of the month for early use. Soa' 

 in boxes or pans, place in a house or hot-bed 

 fr.ame in which you can keep the temperature 

 about (50 degrees. Cover the seeds lightly, and 

 place a sheet of glass over the box till the seedlings 

 begin to appear : see that they do not suffer for 

 want of vvater, but keep them growing steadily 

 till fit to harden off. Brussels Sprouts require a 

 long season of growth, so make a soA'ing in boxes 

 tor an early dish. Place the boxes in a. tempera- 

 ture of aJ)Out 50 degrees iintil the seedlings 

 appear, then remove them to a cool house or cold 

 frame and gradually harden them off for pricking 

 into a cold frame. Cabba,/e may be treated in the 

 same way, so that young plants may be ready to 

 put out as early in the season as possible ; the 

 same applies to red Cabbage (if big heads are in 

 demand and if seeds have not been sown in 

 autumn), i^ook over jjlots of Cabbage planted 

 in autumn, fill up blanks and keep the Buco 

 cultivator or hoe going between the rows. A 

 pinch of Nitrate of Soda to each Cabbage will send 

 them off full steam ahead. Parsley. — Make a 

 sowing in boxes, germinate in gentle heat, and 

 when large enough to handle prick out in boxes 

 filled with nice rich soil. French Beans. — Sow 



at intervals in pots 8 inches in diameter, 7 seeds 

 in pot, using a compost of loan^. leaf-mould and 

 old mushroom bed ; fill the pot to within 3 inches 

 of rim, leaving room for top dressing later. They 

 require a nice brisk heat to force them w ell nnd 

 plenty of the syringe to keep off red spider. 



Jerusalem VRTifiiOKES.-^Lift tubers as soon 

 as possible, select largest for consumption and 

 the medium size for forming a fresh plantation. 

 Plant the tubers in rows IS inches apart and 3 to 1 

 feet between the rows ; select good land for this 

 crop in some secluded part of the garden or some- 

 where you want to make a screen of them. 



Asparagus Beds should be cleaned and top- 

 dressed with two inches of good rotten manure 

 and a light sprinkling of s<alt. 



Herb Border. — This is a good month to 

 renovate and divide herbs. 



Shallots may be planted any time this montli 

 9 inches apart and 12 inches between the rows ; 

 firm them well and biiry toabout half their depth. 



Fruit Garden. 



Every advantage must be taken to finish off 

 the pruning now, so push on to a finish on every 

 good day. 



Finish off the nailing and training of fruit trees 

 on walls, and dig all fruit borders, giving them a 

 liberal coating of rotten manure, wood ashes or 

 bixrnt rubbish. 



Head back fruit trees to be regrafted later on in 

 the Season, pick out your scions, label them 

 properly and bury them "half way in soil in a shady 

 part of the garden. 



Logaxberries. — There should be a row of 

 them in every garden, for it is a valuable fruit for 

 preserves (and even dessert when thoroughly ripe), 

 easily grown and a sure cropper every year ; it 

 will grow on a wall or trellis where no other fruit 

 will grow. The old growths should be cut out 

 and the young straight grow ths tied in. It is not 

 necessary to treat it too liberally \a ith manure, as 

 it is a very rampant grower naturally. 



The Spraying of fruit trees may still be pro- 

 ceeded with, but it is better to get it done before 

 the end of the month. 



The work of digging betw^een the bush fruits is 

 being continued, as advised in last month's 

 calendar 



A dusting of lime on the Gooseberries this 

 month is a good thing, it helps to keep off birds 

 from the buds. 



Lose no time in finishing off all the planting ; 

 bush fruits and Raspberries may be left till the 

 last. Try and have a quantity of dry soil at hand 

 when planting, to mix with the soil for the holes ; 

 you are then better able to firm the tree or bush, 

 and the soil does not cake and crack afterwards. 



Fruit Room. — Apples which are intended to 

 keep as long as possible should be carefully looked 

 over, and any doubtful ones used up, the sound 

 ones covered with sheets of newspapers on the 

 shelves. I consider Annie Elizabeth and Newtown 

 Wonder two of the best keeping apples we have. 



During wet weather coverings, such as fruit 

 nets and tiffany, Arc, should be thoroughly over- 

 liauled : they may be needed in case of late 

 frost for Apricots etc. Nets which ai^e torn in a 

 few places should have the rents niended with 

 thin tarred twine. 



Flower Garden. 



Bedding Piaxts. — This year I am afraid there 

 will be very little required in the way of half-hardy 

 annuals ; the most of the flower beds will be uti- 

 lised for the growing of food stuff (that is, what is 

 contemplated here). Of course. Geraniums, 

 Calceolarias, Pentstemons, Violas, itc, will be 

 planted out to keep up the stock. 



Beds of Beetroot, Carrots and Parsley would not 

 look at all ugly in the flower gai-den. 



If bedding is to go on as usual, sow novv 

 Lobelia, Antirrhinums, Camatiojis, .Marguerite in 

 boxes or pans, and treat in the same way and 

 manner as recommended for Celery this month. 

 Continue digging and forking herbaceous borders 

 and beds ; divisions may still be made of most of 

 our herbaceous i3lants for fresh plantations. 



Dahlias may be laid along the back wall of 

 fruit house or on a gentle hotbed ; cover lightly 

 svith loam and leaf soil, and on fine days spray 

 them lightly to induce growth, which, when long 

 enough for cuttings, should be insertcjd singly in 

 thumb-pots filled with nice sandy compost. 

 Plunge the pots into a hot-bed and shade till 

 rooted. Old stools may also be divided, but if 

 that is the case, it is better to delay and not start 

 them so early. Single Dahlias and Collarette 

 Dahlias are easily raised from seed, and flower 

 well the first year. 



The Alpine Garden should get attention this 

 month : clean rovmd each little plant with a hand 

 fork and give between all a light topdressing of 

 loam mixed with a little soot, wood ashes and 

 linie riibbish. 



