IJ2 



IRISH GARDENING. 



without letting any escape. One of the weed- 

 knife type of implements should be used. The 

 underground parts of a plant are nourished by 

 the green parts above ground, and if the green 

 stems and leaves are destroyed as quickly as they 

 appear the parts below the surface will be starved 

 out and the whole plant will eventually die. 

 Tills is the only way to eradicate finally such 

 weeds as Canada tliistle and field bindweed. 



4. By the use of smother crop. — A vigorous 

 growth of some other crop svich as alfalfa tends 

 to crowd out some kinds of weeds, and the cutting 

 of the crop several times during the season pre- 

 A^ents the weed from ripening its seeds. 



5. By excluding sunlight.- This can be done by 

 the use" of building paper, or a thick layer of straw 

 or otlier suitable material, and can only be prac- 

 tised on small areas that are entirely overrun by 

 some very troublesome weed. 



(5. By spraying with cherpical sotutions. — The 

 substances most commonly used for killing weeds 

 are iron sulphate (copperas or green vitriol), 

 copper sulphate (blue vitriol), common salt and 

 sodium arsenite. Iron sulphate can be used to 

 destroy wild mustard when growing in a grain 

 crop without doing any material damage to the 

 crop. For this purpose a 20 per cent, solution 

 is employed and 100 pounds of the sulphate dis- 

 solved ini 50 gallons of water will spray one acre. 

 Copper sulpliate can be used for the same purpose, 

 a two per cent, solution V)eing employed (10 

 pounds in 50 gallons of water per acre). Both 

 these svdpiiates are poisonous. Sodium arsenite 

 if applied at the rate of 2 pounds to 50 gallons of 

 water will blacken the leaves of Canada tliistle. 

 It is very poisonous, and cannot safely be applied 

 to the thistles when growing among hay or other 

 crop as it will damage the useful plants as well. 

 Common salt is a useful weed killer to employ 

 in the case of weeds growing on paths or roadsides 

 or waste ground. It should be applied in dry 

 weather at the rate of 125 pounds in 50 gallons 

 of water per acre. Strong solution.j of the other 

 foregoing chemicals may be used for the same 

 purpose. 



General Conclusions. — The control of weeds 

 on the farm requires in a marked degree the two 

 virtvies of thoroughness and perseverance. If a 

 farmer goes about it in a half-hearted way. he 

 will never accomplish their eradication. Con- 

 stant watchfulness is necessary if progress is to 

 be made. If bare fallow is resorted to it should 

 be possible to get rid of even the worst weeds in 

 a single year. But the practice of bare fallow is 

 not a paying game. It is in most cases better to 

 graze tlie land or take off a crop of hay or grain 

 early in the season and then leave the land bare 

 for the rest of the year. Shallow plowing should 

 be followed by continuous cultivation throughout 

 the rest of the season, and a hoed crop planted 

 the following year. 



It is safe to say that weeds can only be held in 

 check where a suitable rotation of crops is followed. 

 Where the same land is sown with wheat year after 

 year, or where the land is pastured indefinitely, 

 the weed problem is liable to become worse every 

 year. In the former case a bare fallow every 

 few years will be necessary, audit is very doubtful 

 v/hether the return from the land will be equal 

 to that where rotation of crops is followed. — 

 British Columbia Fruit and Farm, Magazine. 



The Making of a Herbaceous 

 Border, 



By Irene F. Ryan. 



Within the last 10-15 years wonderful improve- 

 ments have been brought about in tlie growing 

 of hardy herbaceous plants. Most of the present 

 generation can recall the time when we were 

 without our present beautiful varieties of Phlox, 

 Pyrethrum, Delphinium, and Paeony, ice, and 

 these are only a sample of the wonderful changes 

 effected during recent years. 



Because we call them '* hardy " plants, there 

 is no reason that they should be as carelessly 

 treated as they often are. If planted in un- 

 cultivated soil and neglected, the most beautiful 

 will lose their character, form and beauty. 

 Place a healthy gTO^\ing child in uncongenial 

 surroundings, neglect aiul ill-treat him or her, and 

 the resiilt will be probably dwarfing of character, 

 possibly loss of beauty, and most certainly loss 

 of health. Tlierefore cultivate your soil 

 thoroughly. 



If the front of a shrvibbery border is the place 

 chosen for growing the plants, deeply trench and 

 manure the ground, and above all rid tiie border 

 of the roots of shrubs which are impoverishing 

 tlie soil. Do not plant near Yew or Laurels, as 

 these are very gx'oss feeders, and will leave the 

 ground too poor to afford sufficient nourishment. 

 If the soil is light add cow manure and lime 

 when trenching, as it retains the riioistvu'e. sandy 

 soils being usually deficient in this. If heavy, 

 add sand, grit, leaf-mould, and light manure. 

 And weeds and roots from the soil can be burned 

 and the ashes from these can be strewn over the 

 fresiily-dug ground. 



The second place which may be considered for 

 planting is the kitchen garden border. This will 

 probably be richer in plant food than the shrub- 

 bery, and may not require so much manure. If 

 over-rich the soil wWi require a plentiful supply 

 of lime, which should be added unslaked if the 

 ground is not required for immediate use — 1 lb. 

 of lime can be dug into the square yard. This 

 will counteract the acidity caused by the soil 

 being over-rich. 



If dealing with new pasture land, this must 

 also be thoroughly trenched and mamu'ed ; and 

 above all watch for the appearance of wireworm, 

 which is usually found in virgin loam. If de- 

 tected, the top spit should be removed to the 

 depth of 4 inches and stacked apart, as the wire- 

 worm destroys Lilies, Iiises, and many other 

 plants. If the soil is a heavy clay one, lime can 

 be added as before mentioned, also soot and wood 

 ashes. It is also beneficial to work a clay soil in 

 windy weather when possible. 



The majority of herbaceous plants can be 

 moved in spring and autumn, but it is not well 

 to transplant between the middle of December 

 and tlie middle of January, as there is no growth 

 duiing that time. 



(To be continued.) 



