32 



IRISH GARDENING 



Preparatiox for Ctrafting. — rnprolitable 

 varieties, but otherwise sound and vigorous trees. 

 can be turned to good account by re-grafting. 

 The heads of such trees should now be cut off t<i 

 a i)oint near where they can be re-grafted witli a 

 more profitable sort. Cut well below any canker 

 wouncls, and as far as possible leave the arms so 

 tliat a well-furnished new head may be quickly 

 jiroduced. The scions for grafting, if not already 

 secured, should be taken off early this month and 

 heeled in some shady, damp corner, such as 

 along tlie north side of a wall or bank where they 

 will ke('i) fresh till required. Choose for scions well 

 develo])ed and ripened shoots of last year's growth. 

 Two essential conditions to success in grafting are 

 that the scions should be dormant and the sa;) 

 rising in the stock \yhen the oj)eration is i)er- 

 formed. 



Seasonable Cultivation. — With the land in 

 suitable condition the cultivation of the space 

 allotted to vegetable or such like croi)s between 

 the trees should be dealt with on every favourable 

 opportunity till completed. Fruit trees and 

 bvishes, like aniniated nature, derive great benefit 

 from a change of food. Trees on what may be 

 considered good land may show a lack of vitality, 

 which Diay arise from a sour or inert condition 

 of the soil through getting too much of one par- 

 ticular kind of plant food. In many cases a 

 dressing of about one and a half tons of lime to 

 the statute acre W(juld put new vigour into such 

 trees ; or if lime liad been applied say three years 

 ago, and farmyard maniu-e last year, 8 cwt. of 

 potassic superphosphate per statute acre would 

 be a suitable change. This dressing will give best 

 results when followed with light dressings of 

 nitrate of soda or sul))hate of ammonia when the 

 trees start into growth. All digging among fruit 

 trees or bushes should be carefully done with a 

 digging fork. In ai)i)lying well-rotted farmyard 

 manure to trees or bushes bury a portion of it 

 slightly in advance of the roots so as to coax 

 them along. On no account should a si)ade be 

 em]>loyed by a careless man for digging among 

 fruit trees and bushes, as considerable damage 

 may be done to the iibrous I'oot system, thereby 

 leaving the tree to depend on deei)er acting roots 

 and laying the foundation of unfruitfulness. 



Orchards in Grass. — ^Attend to manuring and 

 widening the stations to meet the requireuu'iits of 

 the trees. It is false economy not to give i)lenty 

 of room, as so niany light vegetable crops, sucJi 

 as dwarf peas and early potatoes, <;an be ])rolit- 

 al)ly gr(»wn on the outer edge of such beds, and 

 the cultivation of such crops is generally sufficient 

 to maintain a sound and vigorous growfli in fin- 

 trees. 



The Vegetable Garden. 



By Arthur Horton, Gardener to Colonel Claiule 

 Cane, St. Wolstan's, Celbridge. 



February is generally a very changeable month 

 as regards the weather, and is often the wettest 

 month of the whole year, consequently it is very 

 difficult to get on with outside work, but no 

 opportunity should l)e missed to forwai-d the 

 digging and trenching as advised in last month's 

 notes. 



Seed Sowing : Parsnips. — As the seed of this 

 vegetable takes a long time to germinate. adv;^n- 



tage should be taken of the iirst good day to get 

 in the seed. The ground for this crop shoidd be 

 deei)ly trenched, but not manured: drills shonld 

 be drawn about H inches deep and IH inches 

 apart. Where exhibition s))ecimens are re(piired 

 holes will have to lie bored at least !> feet d<M-|) and 

 filled with a suitable mixture of loam, leaf-mould 

 and sp^nd in about equa,l jjroportions, and all imt 

 through a ^-inch sieve. Most ))eople find it more 

 difficult to grow perfect specimens of i)arsnips 

 and carrots than any other vegetable, but an 

 enthusia.stic grower will overcome the difficulty. 

 Onions. — Any time after the 20th of this montli 

 summer onions niay be sown when the ground is 

 in a favoiu'able condition. Fork over the ground 

 thoroughly, breaking uj) the lumps as small as 

 possible. A good sprinkling of wood ashes, lime 

 and soot spread over the ground and I'aki'd in 

 will be very beneficial. Make the ground firm by 

 treading or rolling. The drills should be 10 to 12 

 inches a])art. 12 for ])reference. After the seed 

 is sown draw in the soil with the feet or the back 

 of a wooden rake, and finish off with a. steel rake 

 the same way as the drills ate running. 



.lERusALEM AuTiCHOKES should be planted 

 during this month. If the ground is already dug 

 or trenched, drills may be drawn the same as for 

 potatoes, at 3 feet ai)art, giving a distance of 2 

 feet between the tubers. 



Peas. — Many methods are practised for the 

 earliest supplies of this popular vegetable. Some 

 ])eople make their first sowing outside in autumn, 

 while others i)refer waiting until February and 

 sowing in pots, strips of turf or boxes. Personally 

 1 much i)refer the latter method, as less risks are 

 run of loss by rats, mice and birds. Ordinary 

 cutting boxes 3 J or 1 inches deep ai'e very suitable 

 for this ]nir]iose, and are equally as good, if not 

 ])referable. to ])ots or strijis of tiu'f, as much less 

 room is taken ui> by boxes, which is a great con- 

 sideration in most establishments at this ])eriod 

 of the year. Place about I inch of any rough 

 materipol in the bottom of the boxes, then fill up 

 to about li inches froni the top, and sow evenly, 

 but not too thickly, and finally cover with one 

 inch of i'\ne soil. An early ])each house or vinery 

 will be found suitable for starting them, but at 

 no time must they be forced. As soon as they 

 are well above the soil place the boxes in a cool, 

 airy structure near the glass, and harden off 

 gradually. When ])ossible a south or west b(»rder 

 sliituld be reserved for the first i>la.nting, and 

 should be deejily trenched and manxired. Where 

 labour is scarce and manure limited a good ])lan 

 is to dig out trenches at least two s]»adings deej), 

 l)lai-ing a good layer of mamire in the bottom and 

 .■mother between the first and second si)ading; 

 this is best carried out some tune ])revious to the 

 time of ])]anting or sowing to allow the soil to 

 settle down. This not only ai)])lies to early peas 

 but also to successional croi)s, and if carried out 

 good results are sure to follow. 



Broad Beans. — Where broad beans are used 

 a few should be sown in boxes the same as advised 

 for i)eas, and will be ready for use at least a fort- 

 night before the first outside sowing. 



Shallots. — Any time during the ])resent month 

 shallots should be i)lanted. Clioose a rich piece 

 of ground and ])lant in lines 1 foot apart and about 

 inches between the sets; ]»ress down the sets 

 with the thumb and linger to about half their 

 de]ith, and make as firin as po.ssible. 



