40 



IRISH GARDENING. 



They need a v ell liiauured, trenelied soil, and 

 fiesli quiiiters from time to time, and if this is 

 iiiiserved it is possible to keep the disease at bay. 

 When once disease Jia.? snown, however, there is 

 no remedy, and tlie best plan is to at once uproot 

 the jJlanis and burn iheiii, burning the soil too if 

 it can be done. 



They are certainly wortliy of good culture and 

 of painstaking care when we remember how con- 

 spicuously beaatiful tliey are. 



Mkrcaston, 



Allotments. 



AruiL is the month for planting Potatoes. The 

 period for pUxnting extends from tlie middle of 

 Marcli until about the same time in May, but it 

 is during tliis month that the bulk of the work is 

 done. It is fortunate for us that the Potato, one 

 of the staple foods of the country, can be grow'ii 

 in sucli a variety of soils, the most unsuitable 

 being a heavy clay soil. The land should liave 

 fair preparation before planting, and while a very 

 tine condition of soil is not essential, a good friable 

 tilth is necessary. In allotments not newly-broken 

 up, farmyard manure is sure to be beneficial, and 

 should be scattered along the drills. One ton of 

 manure is a fair dressing for a plot of standard 

 size, and, if possible, this manure should be siip- 

 idemented witli artificial manure. The following 

 artificials are recommended tor a plot with an 

 area of .'iOO square yards. Sulphate of ammonia, 

 7 lbs; superphosphate, 28 lbs.; muriate of potash, 

 7 lbs. These manures may be mixed together a 

 few days jirevious to planting. All lumps should 

 be broken up during the mixing process. The 

 ajiplication is quite simple, all that is necessary 

 is to scatter the artificial manure over the dung 

 when planting. Where Potatoes have been boxed 

 for sprouting, the work can be carried forward ex- 

 peditiously. If, however, the Potatoes have only 

 recently been obtained jirevious to planting it may 

 lie found necessary to cut large tubers to obtain 

 a sufficient number of sets. The tubers should 

 be planted immediately after cutting. If this is 

 not done, then it is advisable to sprinkle the cut 

 .surfaces with quicklime. Generally speaking, for 

 the main crop varieties 26 inches between the rows 

 and 15 inches l)etween the sets will prove satis- 

 factory. The depth to plant is from 4 inches to 

 (i inches, the more shallow depth Ijeing suitable 

 for heavy land. Experiments have shown that 

 tubers about the size of a hen's egg generally prove 

 the most profitable for planting purposes. Smaller 

 seed from weak plants cannot be expected to 

 produce a good crop, and any which are larger 

 may be cut if desired with plenty of buds on the 

 tuliers. 



Winter Greens, C.4ui,iflowers and Broccoli. — 

 Sowings of many of the winter green crops may 

 now ,be made in an open position, and in ground 

 that contains no fresh manure. Rake the surface 

 soil down finely, and draw drills one foot apart. 

 The seeds may l)o sown about one inch deep. 



Marrows. — Sow seeds of Marrows. Place one 

 seed in a small pot. The seeds 3oon germinate, and 

 an ordinary dwellinghou.se is quite suitable, if no 

 other accommodation is available. 



Carrots. — Too much care cannot possibly he 

 taken in the preparation of the ground for carrots. 

 The crop growls best in a light, warm soil which 

 has previously been well manured. Wood ashes 

 and l)urnt garden refuse are useful for forking 



into lieavy soil. For roots of medium size 12 inches 

 betw-een the drills is sufficient. For the larger 

 kinds the drills may be 15 inches apart. 



Herbs.— Apart from Mint, which is easily pro- 

 pagated by division, the most useful herbs are 

 Sage, Thyme, Sweet and Pot Marjoram. These 

 herbs are easily raised from seeds which may be 

 sown now. 



Cabbages. — The autumn phrnted Cabbages are 

 now growing strongly. The hoe should be kept 

 working between the rows to encourage their 

 growth and to keep down weeds. A small quantity 

 of nitrate of soda is useful as a stimulant for 

 these plants. 



The hoe should also be run through the Shallots 

 and Potato Onions when the green tops are 

 visible. Onions planted out last month will also 

 benefit wdth hoeing. A good deal has been written 

 at one time and another relating to the advan- 

 tages which plants derive from lioeing, and during 

 the spring months this benefit is quickly apparent. 

 Not only is the soil kept open, but weed seeds are 

 now, at this time of the year, germinating in 

 numbers, and hoeing frequently avoids endless 

 labour later on, when the weeds are larger and 

 not so easily killed. 



In the warmer districts it is often safe to sow 

 French and Runner Beans at the end of the 

 inontli, but unless one has the surplus seed to 

 risk sowing, it is advisable to defer growing these 

 crops until May. Apart from these general excep- 

 tions most seeds of vegetables can be sown this 

 month. It is often recommended to sow Beet dur- 

 ing May, liut in the north it is quite safe to sow it 

 towards the end of April. Globe Beet can, of 

 course, be sown, and from now onwards Lettuce 

 and other salads can be sow-n in small quantities 

 at intervals of a fortnight to keep up a succession. 



Peas. — This crop may be sown as often now and 

 whenever the soil is suitable. The seeds often 

 decay if sown too early in damp ground, but from 

 now onward.5 sowing may be done with confidence. 

 When purchasing tlie seeds it is important for 

 amateurs to note to what height the different Peas 

 grow. A dwarf Pea wliich requires little or no 

 staking, and a good cropper. Little Marvel can 

 be recommended. The tall varieties can be sown 

 with convenience to separate varieties of Potatoes. 

 By doing this the flat appearance of the plot is 

 broken and the Peas have plenty of light to de- 

 velop. 



The Flower Border. — Old Dahlia roots may be 

 divided as soon as sufficient growth has been made 

 to enable this to be done. The tubers may then 

 lie replanted, with the buds about 4 inches below 

 the surface. The Sweet William is a poind ar 

 biennial, but is frequently sown too late. To 

 obtain good-sized flowering plants the seeds should 

 be sown during this month. Polyanthus and 

 Primroses to flower next year should also be sown 

 now. The .seeds are best sown in boxes, and kept 

 on a sheltered part of the allotment. The Hardy 

 Annuals may lie sown now. A whole host of suit- 

 alile tilings include such fine plants as Clarkia, 

 Candytuft, Mignonette, Cornflower, etc. The 

 flower border on a plot is usually of a rectangular 

 shape, and I find it far more satisfactoi'y to sow 

 these beds in drills when annuals are used. Sweet 

 Peas which have been raised in pots or boxes 

 may be planted wdien the soil is fit. These young 

 plants are often cut with wind if planted too 

 early. A dressing of lime or soot is desirable to 

 prevent slugs from eating the plants. 



G. H. Oliver. 



