IRISH GARDENING 



5( 



npeiuug the borders should have a good water- 

 ing, and the surface of the trees well nudehed. 

 They will not then require watering until the croiJ 

 is gathered. In late houses the trees should bo 

 well syringed, and the houses damped down at 

 shutting-up time. Tie in the shoots where they 

 are sufficiently advanced, and avoid overcrowding, 

 leave only enough to take the place of fruiting 

 wood imless it is found necessary to extend the 

 trees. 



STR.twBKRHihs.— All plants in pots that are not 

 ripening fruit should be freely syringed, and should 

 never suffer from want of water. It is a great ad- 

 vantage when they are grown on shelves for the 

 pots to stand in saucers. All ripening fruit should 

 have plenty of air to bring up the flavour to the 

 highest pitch. Discontinue watering with manure 

 water when they start to colour. 



Melons. — These should have every attention in 

 the process of setting by daily impregnations, 

 pinching out the growing points about two joints 

 beyond the fruit. At tills period keep a well- 

 veiitilatcd and dry atmosphere to aid setting. Top- 

 dress plants in fruit with a rich soil, and water 

 with manure water twice weekly. Maintain a good 

 moisture by syringing the walls and foliage. 



CucuMBERS.-^Plants now coming into full .bear- 

 ing should have a good spread of foliage, and will 

 now require plenty of water. Topdress the plants 

 with a good, light' compost as the roots appear on 

 the surface. Shut up the houses with sun heat 

 so that the temperature rises to about 85 degrees to 

 90 degrees, at the same time syringing the plants. 



Tomatoes. — Keep the houses at all times as dry 

 as possible, the plants firmly staked and disbudded 

 to one .stem. If the plants are planted out in beds, 

 when the roots come to the surface they shotild 

 have a topdress of a good fibry loam, with a mix- 

 ture of sulphate of potasli or superphosphate. 

 Instead of mulching the plants it is a good plan 

 to cover the surface of the ground with good, thick 

 brown paper. Plants for outside planting should 

 be hardeiied-off previotis to planting out. 



Kitchen G.\EnEN. 

 The weather having b-;en very unfavourable. 

 Parsnips, Onions and Carrots which, under 

 ordinary circumstances, would have required thin- 

 ning have only just appeared above ground. As 

 soon as the seedlings are large enough thin out 

 to the required distance. This operation should 

 be done in showery weather, as the plants draw 

 and transplant better when the ground is moist. 

 Any blanks in the rows should be filled up at the 

 time of thinning. Onions and Beet transplant very 

 well. In the event of dry weather setting in before 

 the transplanted seedlings have taken to the soil, 

 they should be watered with a fine rose can. Kun 

 the hoe lightly between the growing crops to en- 

 courage growth. If not already done sow Broccoli 

 and Savoys. Tran.splant Cabbage, Cauliflower, etc.. 

 sown last month. Celery for late crops can be 

 pricked out into frames. Continue to sow Turnip, 

 Radish, Lettuce and Mustard and Cress for suc- 

 cession. Seakale plantations should have their 

 growths thinned out to one apiece. Dress 

 .Asparagus beds with salt during showery weather. 

 In cutting the shoots care should be taken not to 

 injure the crowns. Plant out Vegetable Marrows 

 growing in pots. Assist Tripoli Onions by water- 

 ing with liquid manure. Sow a good breadth of 

 Peas, utilising the spaces Ijetween the rows for 

 Spinach. Sow Broad Beans at intervals to meet 

 the probable demands, and earth-up Potatoes as 

 they require it. 



Beet. — Sow the main crop in deeply-dug, friable 

 soil, moderately rich from manure applied to the 

 previous crop. Globe Beet is the earliest, and can 

 be grown closer than the long varieties. 



Scarlet Kunners. — Make a sowing of these in 

 the open early this month, or in boxes for planting 

 out at the end of the month. This crop requires 

 a very rich soil, and should be grown in trenches 

 with plenty of cow-manure dug into bottom. 

 Allow the plants to remain about one foot to 

 eighteen inches apart. Where tall stakes cannot 

 be had Runner Beans may be pinched to any re- 

 quired height. 



Tom-4Toes. — If plants are strong and well 

 hardened-off they may be planted out against walls 

 with a southern aspect about the end of the 

 month. The stronger the plants are and the 

 earlier they are put out into their fruiting quarters, 

 the more profitable will they be. 



French Beans. — To keep up a regular supply 

 .successional sowings should be made in light, 

 rich soil. Climbing French Beans are well worth 

 growing for their continuous cropping, which 

 makes it so profitable. \A'ax-pod or Butter Beans 

 are also worthy of a place in the garden. 



Fe.ajies. — Afford water to Carrots, Radishes, 

 etc., growing in frames. Allow i^lenty of ventila- 

 tion, in fact the lights can be taken completely off 

 where the crops are being used. Plant out Brussels 

 Sprouts two feet apart in lines three feet asunder. 

 This crop requires plenty of space and generous 

 treatment. 



Hardy FaniTS. 



Continued wintry weather necessitates watchful- 

 ness to the blossoms of fruit trees. The disbudding 

 of Peaches and Nectarines requires to be done 

 gradually. In all instances a growing bud should 

 be retained at the base of the present year's fruit- 

 ing wood, and a growth retained on the level with 

 or above the fruit. Remove all shoots growing 

 outwards or towards the wall, and tie in the 

 growths left as they require it. 



Strawberries. — The ground should now get a 

 good hoeing between these iilants when the soil 

 is dry. Dress the ground with lime between and 

 under the growth of the plants to keep away slugs. 

 Before the trusses of bloom get too far advanced 

 straw should be carefully placed under the leaves 

 and between the plants. Manure water should be 

 applied, especially to plants over one year old. 



Raspberries. — Hoe out the suckers, only leave 

 the required number of strong ones for ne.xt year's 

 crop. Retain the most favourably placed shoots. 

 Raspberries require mulching on light, dry soils, 

 grass lawn mowings answer very well. 



Flower Garden and Pleasure Grounds. 



Bedding-out will now be the primary item in 

 this department for the month, and plants should 

 be well hardened off in preparation. Where spring 

 liedding is carried out the beds will not be ready 

 until late in the month. Polyanthus, Primroses, 

 Aubrietia and Arabis used for spring bedding 

 should be divided up and planted arovnid fruit 

 breaks, or in reserve beds, for filling the beds 

 again in the autumn. Wallflowers, Sweet William. 

 Canterbury Bells and other biennials should be 

 sown in drills one foot apart. Myosotis, Lim- 

 nanthes. Douglasii. Silene and Brompton Stocks 

 should also be sown now for spring bedding. Hardy 

 Annuals will require thinning out. To get the 

 liest results they should have plenty of room to 

 develop. Dahlias and Gladioli may be planted out 

 in properly prepared beds or borders. 



Sweet Peas. — Autumn sown plants that are 



