62 



IRISH GARDENING. 



the more fruit you will get before the pl;.nt is cut 

 dowu with frost 



Onions sow-n in boxes can be planted out wher) 

 large enough to handle — say six inches higli— in 

 well prepared ground. Plant with trowel or take 

 out a noti'li with the spade and let the rootlets 

 sti'aight^ dovvn. A good dusting of lime and soot 

 shoidd be forked into gi-ound l)efore planting. 



CauliflowekS wintered in coUl I'l-ames may be 

 planted out into perinanent quarters in good, rich, 

 well tilled soil : draw tracks 1-S inches apart, with- 

 draw hoe, aiul iilant in tlie tracks, which give 

 shelter from the wind, and the sod can be scuilled 

 level w^heii they begin to grow. (rive a good 

 dusting of lime occasionally to prevent the 

 ravages of slugs, who dearly love a young cauli- 

 flower. 



Seakale. — Plant in lines IS inches apart and 

 one foot from ])lant to plant. Cover the sets with a 

 handful of coal ashes. Each set will send up 

 several heads, which reduce to one, of coiu-se 

 choosing the best. 



Hotbeds. — ^lany will require these for the 

 culture of Cucumljei'S and Melons. Stable manure 

 and fresh leaves should be got together for that 

 purpose. To make hotbeds properly is an art in 

 itself ; they are nearly always put in too quick ; 

 they ought to be mixed thoroughly and put in a 

 heap to ferment and turned again before they are 

 ready to be put into the frame or bed. A well 

 made bed should retain its heat for at least three 

 months. 



Fruit Garden. 

 The grafting of fruit trees may now be pi-o- 

 ceeded with. Start with Pears and Plums, as the 

 sap rises much earlier in these than in Apples. 

 The Apples may be done any time during the 

 month. The study of this particular branch of 

 horticidture is very fascinating, and the many 

 advantages proved to result from the sensible 

 use of grafting are numerous. Sometimes old 

 trees that bear useless bad fruit can be made into 

 useful trees in a short time if 20 or SO scions are 

 grafted thereon. I think, of the three form.s of 

 grafting old trees (that is, when the stock is much 

 thicker than the scion), cleft, rind and notch, the 

 later is the simplest and usually the most effective. 

 The form of grafting used where the stock and 

 scion are ec^ual dimensions is whip or tongue 

 grafti .a. Grafting clay, to cover the union of 

 graft and stock to exclude air, is made of clay and 

 manure mixed well together, or grafting wax is 

 sold for the same purpose. 



General Work. — If weather remains favour- 

 able keep the Scuffle or Buco Cultivator going, 

 even though there are no weeds showing amongst 

 the fruit borders; it will repay you by the general 

 appearance of the place and also benefit the crop, 

 as ground round fruit trees is inclined to crack in 

 dry w^eather if not kept constantly stirred. Water 

 fruit trees on south walls if weather continues dry. 

 (Uean and scuttle Strawl)erry plots, if not already 

 done, and put a layer of strawy iiuinure up 

 betw^een and around plants, so that the nutritious 

 value will be washed in, leaving it nice and clean 

 for the fruit to ripen on. 



Flower Garden. 



Si)ring Ijcdding will soon be at its best, so that 

 the garch'ii will begin to be a great source of 

 ]deasure. Any staking required for Hyacinths 

 should lie attended too and the beds kept as tidy 

 as possible. 



Lawns should have been thoroughly swept and 

 rolled, so that the nxowing niachines will have a 

 clean run. It is a mistake to delay too long in 

 mowing, as the grass begins to grow quickly 

 towards the later end of the month. Any bare 

 patches or the sowing down of new lawns should 

 be done. One pound of good lawn grass seed, from 

 a reliable firm,i)er 20 square yards is the qiiantity 

 for a new lawn. If birds are numerous, a dusting 

 of soot and lime will keep them oft". 



Shrubs. — Planting of Conifers and tlie usual 

 selection of Evergreens should be finished oft: at 

 once ; but Hollies transplant better towards the 

 later end of April, choosing nice moist weather. 

 Large spechnens may be shifted without much 

 risk, ijrovided care is taken to preserve a large 

 ball of soil about the roots and a, good w^atering 

 is given and the plant properly staked. 



Pansies and Violas. — Few flowers are more 

 general favourites, and I'ightly so, for they are 

 easily grown, and are sure to give great satis- 

 faction wherever they are planted — either as a 

 ground work amongst Roses or through a bed of 

 Zonals, or they do themselves credit in a bed or 

 border alone. It is better to have them planted 

 in their pernranent quarters before the soil and 

 sun gets too hot for them, but when established 

 they can stand any amount of that. 



Sweet Violets. — When finished blooming, 

 either the end of the month or beginning of May, 

 the runners may be raised and the strongest 

 planted, either in raised beds or in rows in well 

 tilled and manured soil. Water regularly to keep 

 them from flagging. Runners that appear during 

 the summer should be pinched oft". 



Half-hardy annuals that were sown in heat 

 will be ready for pricking out. Out-door Chry- 

 santhemums, Pentstemons and Calceolarias, if 

 sumnxer quarters are not ready for them, ought to 

 be pinched and transplanted into a frame or 

 sheltered border, where they can get slight pro- 

 tection if needed. Continue digging herbaceous 

 borders if not conxpleted. There is nice growth 

 showing on Delphiniums and Pyrethrums. A 

 careful w^atch should be ke^jt for snails and slugs. 



The Rock Garden is becomi^pg interesting now. 

 Care shoxild be taken to keep down w eeds, and the 

 soil should be stirred between the plants. Finish 

 oft' Hybrid Tea Roses and give beds a feeding 

 and general tidying up. 



Southern and Western Counties, 



Ly Ei;ni3st Beckett, Gardener to Lord 



Barrymore, Fota. 



The Kitchen Garden. 



The first half of the month of March has, unfor- 

 tunately, been all against any attempts to bring 

 up arrears in the Kitchen Gai'den as regards the 

 working of the land — at least in this locality. 

 Heavy rains, alternated with frosts, and on the 



