34 



IRISH GARDENING. 



From reports and inquiries Avhich hare 

 reached us it is evident that potatoes will tigiire 

 largely in most allotments, and the question 

 most generally asked is — ^" Can we grow potatoes 

 without manure ? " The answer is that, gener- 

 ally speaking, the crop will be poor, and it will 

 pay to purchase artificials, assuming farmyard 

 manure cannot be got. Of course, it is impos- 

 sible to give a definite answer for all soiLs ; some 

 may be rich enough to yield a good crop, and 

 we would urge all who are in doubt to consult a 

 local head gardener or the County Instructor in 

 Horticulture. 



Regarding potatoes, there is too much tend- 

 ency to believe that the more " seed " that is 

 planted the larger will be the crop. No greater 

 fallacy could be entertained ; close planting 

 means that each individual gets less sunlight 

 and air, and greater difficulty in regular cultiva- 

 tion. Experiments by practical men have shown 

 that where the soil has been deeply tilled and 

 wide planting has been adopted, and the surface 

 soil subsequently kept well worked, better crojis 

 have been obtained than where manure was 

 apj)lied in abundance on shallow tilled soil. 



In planting j)otatoes, then, we are convinced 

 that it will pay to have the Hues 2 feet 6 inches 

 apart and the "setts " 15 inches aj)art, giving 

 abundance of light and air and room for mould- 

 ing up and hoeing between the rows. 



Many people will say, of course, that it is 

 a waste of ground to give so much space to quick 

 maturing, short-topped, early varieties, but, as 

 we are assuming either no manure will be used 

 or artificials only, we are certain the increased 

 space will in a large measure compensate for this. 

 Another important point, too, is to have the 

 rows running north and south, so that they 

 receive the maximum amount of sunlight. 

 Abiindant exposure to air and light means the 

 production of a heavy crop from each potato 

 planted, and all or nearly all of the young 

 potatoes will be of good size and fit for the table. 

 Overcrowding by close planting means a large 

 percentage of small j)otatoes unfit for table use. 



The Department of Agriculture for Ireland has 

 lately issued a memorandum dealing with the 

 supply of artificial manures. Much information 

 is given in brief, including recommendations as 

 to the kind and quantity of manure required 

 per acre for various croj)s with and without dung- 

 For potatoes witJioiit dung it is recommended 

 to ajiply 1 J cwt. sulphate of ammonia and 6 cwt. 

 superi^hosphate, or 2 to 1 mixture. The 2 to 1 

 mixture is simj)ly two parts of superphosphate 

 and one part of Tunisian jihosphate. 



These manures maj^ be scattered along the 

 drills at planting time, and from the above 



qiuxntities it is easy to calculate the quantity 

 required for i, ^', I or ,^6 of an acre. Allotment 

 holders and cottagers would do well to combine 

 and i)i^rcliase in as large a quantity as possible, 

 particularly where carriage has to be considered. 



Flower Gardening at Kew. 



Please allow me to clear up a few points in the 

 article on this in your January issue. 



Water Lilies as to Depth of Water. — ■ 

 The suggestion is made that Marliac's Water 

 Lilies might adorn the pond, which, " if we 

 recollect aright, is far too deep for an3^hing of 

 the kind." My Water Lilies sometimes grow in 

 water 10 feet deep. One sowed itself in water 

 12 feet deej), and came up strongty every year 

 for many years. In the same pond they grow 

 on the margins very well in, a foot of water, which 

 shows one of their fine qualities. At Kew they 

 have never been well shown, and the public has 

 aiever had a chance of seeing how it would jjrefer 

 a real water garden to the ducks. 



Tender Plants in the Flower Garden. — 

 It is an error to state that I proj)ose to "do 

 away with all tender plants in the flower garden. ' ' 

 Half-hardy and some tender plants are essential. 

 Heliotrope, Canna, Blue Salvias, Verbena, 

 Fuchsia, ancl the more beautiful annual 

 flowers, also the charming blue Bindweed, 

 killed in some years. The tender plants are an 

 essential part of every flower garden worthy of 

 the name, but, as a rule, a third part of the 

 flower garden is enough to devote to them, and 

 that varying a little as to locality, as in seashore 

 districts, j^lants are hardy that soon perish in- 

 land. In the true flower garden there should be 

 no hard exclusion of any class of plants that 

 thrive in the open air and bear the supreme test 

 of beauty. . -> i*^ 



Bricks and the Gardener. — ^The Gardener's 

 building is about on a level with the Builder's 

 gardening. Better for each to do his own work 

 well, and in that way only can good work be 

 done. Building, like other arts, has to be 

 learned, and that means a good deal of study. 

 I have had some experience of covering pergolas, 

 and, while the}^ are made in all sorts of ways, the 

 one to last, carry heavy loads of climbers and 

 face the gales, should be built by an architect, 

 both for its effect and endurance. The light 

 planting is clearly the business of the gardener, 

 and a serious job it is to let the structure show 

 the beauty of the many climbers of the northern 

 world. One I had to do with, several hundred 

 feet long and covered with all the handsome 



