IRISH GARDENING 



67 



A Few Succession Crops for 

 Allotments 



X() doubt, most intendijig vegetable groA\er.s 

 have secured their aUotiueuts, and have ah'eady 

 spent many strenuous hours Avith spade and fork 

 getting the ground into good conditi<)}i for sowing 

 and planting, also every one -will by now haAe 

 decided Avhat crops they will put into the ground 

 to produce the earlier supplies, so that any 

 remarks on ground preparation or early vege- 

 tables would now be too late, but a few hints on 

 some succession crops suitable for allotments, 

 Avhich Avail extend the vegetable season for as 

 long a period as possible, may be of interest, 

 and it is by succession crops and endeaA'ouring 

 to take two crops off as much of the ground as 

 possible that the full returns of the initial labour 

 and cost may be obtained. 



The aim of all, no doubt, this year Avill be to 

 obtain a fcAv Potatoes as early as possible, and 

 a feAv lines of some earl}' A'ariety Avill liaA^e been 

 planted. These Avill be ready to lift by the 

 middle or end of June at latest. As they Avill 

 not liaA^e to be kept for any length of time, it is 

 adAnsable to lift the A\hole crop Avhen ready antl 

 store in a cellar or shed to be used as required. 

 Then the ground Avhich they haA'"e occupied 

 should be forked over and kn^elled and planted, 

 during the first or second week of July, Avith 

 Rosette ColcAvorts, a splendid little cabbage for 

 allotment holders : it is small and compact and 

 as hard as a bullet ; it can be planted as close 

 as lo inches each Avay ; planted at the time 

 mentioned it turns in for use at a good time. 

 Avhen autumn cabbages are getting oA'er and 

 before Winter Savoys turn hi. 



Turnips are a thrifty vegetable, and to any 

 who prefer them to the ColcAvoi'ts, garden 

 Swedes (of Avhich there are several good strains) 

 are a A'ery good succession crop on early Potato 

 ground, and Juh' is earl_A' (mough to soav them 

 for Avinter iise, and it is during Avinter A\e feel the 

 A\'ant of a feA\' A'egetables. The ground must be 

 forked and raked to a tine tilth for Turnips. 

 SoAv in lines 15 inches apart and 13 inches deep ; 

 Avhen the seedlings are large enough to handle 

 thin out to 8 or 9 inches apart. 



Ground on A\hich early garden turnijis luiAe 

 been groAvn should, A\hen the crop is finished, 

 be dug oA^er, burjing. if obtainable, at the 

 bottom of the spit some good rotten manure, 

 then the ground can be ])lanted Avith Leeks. 

 DraAvdeep drills 12 inches ajmrt and plant the 

 Leeks in the drills Avith a dibble at 6 inches 

 apart, drop the plants into the holes made with 

 the dibble, and just sprinkle in enough soil to 



cover the roots. As the Leeks groAv and till the 

 holes earth up the plants as needed, in the same 

 way as earthing Potatoes. These may not 

 proAade exhibition Leeks, but they Avill be \'ery 

 serA'iceable and Avelcome during Avinter and 

 early spring. 



Where a line of early Peas has been gr(n\n, 

 a trench can be throAvn out A\hen the Peas are 

 pulled uj) and ( elery planted ; make the trench 

 L5 inches Avide, or 24 inches if there is room 

 enough and 12 inches deep ; place a good laA'er 

 of rich nmnure in the bottom, and then hll in 

 4 or 5 inches of the soil on top of the manure, 

 making the Avhole moderately hrm. The trench 

 Avhen completed should be about 4 or 5 inches 

 deep. A great mistake is often made in planting 

 Celery in too deep trenches — a single line to be 

 planted in 15 inch trench or a double line in 

 24 inch trench. 



If a feA\' early Cabbages ha])pen to be cleared 

 of? by, sa}', the third Aveek in August give the 

 ground a good dressing of soot and lightly fork 

 it over ; leA^el the bed and make it nioderateh' 

 Hrm, rake to a fine tilth, and soav Onions in 

 drills 15 inches apart ; those, in a mild Avinter, 

 IH'oA'ide some pickings for flaA'Ouring, and in the 

 spring, if left in the same ground, soon groAv 

 aAvay and produce an early svipply of Onions,, 

 and they have the adA'^antage of rarely suffex'ing 

 from attacks by the onion fly. 



When the spring soAvn Onions li.a\'e been 

 harve!;ted, say by the end of September or mid- 

 October, the ground can be used for autumn 

 planted ('abbages. Rake the groimd clean of 

 Aveeds and rubbish and plant the Ca})bages Avith 

 a troAvel without digging the ground, as the 

 firm ground induce^ a sturdy gr()A\'th and ' 

 ])re vents the Cabbages groAving too big and soft: 

 i)efore the A\inter, A\hen, if severe Aveather 

 prevails, the soft plants are liable to injury. 

 When the plants haA^e established themseK'esi 

 before Avinter sets in draAv a little soil up to them 

 to ])revent them being bloAvn about and tAvisted 

 at the necks during stormy Aveather. Cabbages 

 from this autumn planting Avill be ready for 

 cutting by the folloAAing April or 'Shiy. They 

 can be planted IS inches betAveen the roA\s, 12 

 inches betAveen the plants, then everA' other 

 plant can be cut very early in the year (though 

 small, they will be tender), and thus leave room 

 for the others to more fully dcA^elop. Seeds can 

 be sown for this planting at the end of July in 

 ground Avhere a Icav Lettuces have gone OA'er. 



It is not too late to plant Savoys and Kale 

 after Maincrop Potatoes have been lifted, they 

 Avill turn in and prove very acceptable during 

 late Avinter and early spring. 



Khol Rabi is a A'egetable AAhich by the 



