112 



IRISH GARDENING 



grit, and is not the way to recover the losses ot 

 an adverse season. The grower who stands by 

 his trees in all sorts of seasons invariably conies 

 out the winner in the long ruii. It is false 

 economy under any condition of adverse seasons 

 to let trees get checked by a rank growth of weeds. 



Thinning of Fruit. — The stoning period will 

 now be over and all danger of stone-fruits 

 dropping at that critical stage be past. The linal 

 thinning of phnns, peaches, and apricots should 

 not be longer delayed. The amount of fruit that 

 any imrticular tree can carry to maturity dei)ends 

 on the vigour of the tree and the conditions under 

 which it is growing. Young trees with a dis- 

 position to make too rank growth of wood can 

 be controlled by leaving a somewhat heavier crop 

 of fruit. Apples and pears should be dealt with 

 as soon as the best placed and best shaped fruit 

 can be selected to remain to matvire. 



Insect Pests. — Continue to keep a sharp look 

 out for all kinds of a])his (greenfly), and deal 

 prom])tly with them by spraying or dipping on 

 their first appearance. Young apple trees have 

 been more infested with a^diis this year than 

 usual, the outcome of slow growth due to the 

 cold snap. 



Apple and Pear Scab. — Attend to spraying 

 for this pest. It is only by following u}) spraying 

 that it can be controlled. 



The Vegetable Garden. 



By Arthur IIortox. (iardener to Colonel Claude 

 Cane, St. Wolstans, Celbridge. 



By the beginning <:>f .Tuly most kinds of vegetables 

 will either be planted or sown. Consequently the 

 bulk of work for the month will be devoted to the 

 growing (•roi)s. If hot and dry weather prevails, 

 which is to be ex])ected at this season, much time 

 will be taken up in watering the various crops. In 

 many gardens this is by no means an easy matter, 

 as only a favoured few have water laid on in the 

 vegetable quarters, and in many cases it has to 

 be drawn from a considerable distance, which is 

 a great handicap. If watering is done at all it 

 should be done thoroughly. More good will be 

 done by giving one thorough soaking than merely 

 dam.])ing the surface a dozen times. All crops 

 will derive great benefit if the surface is kept well 

 cultivated with hoe or cultivator ; even when the 

 soil is well manured and in good heart, if the 

 surface is in a baked and cracked condition the 

 crops will not be satisfactory. If short manure or 

 spent mushroom dung is available it naay be 

 ap])lied as a mulching with advantage to many 

 different cro])s, especially onions, peas, French 

 and runner beans. 



Spring Cabbage. — Cabbage in midsummer, 

 when many other choice vegetables are in season, 

 is not so much thought of. On the other hand, 

 the spring crop coming in at a time when other 

 vegetables are extremely scarce is much prized 

 by everyone. The cultivation is simple, but a 

 mistake frequently made is in sowing the seed 

 too early, consequently a large percentage runs 

 to seed. The time for sowing must be regulated 

 according to locality and circumstances. It is 

 always advisable not to depend on one sowing ; 

 make at least two, the first not before July the 

 20th and the second about three weeks later. 

 The most sviitable method for sowing the seed is 



broadcast in beds about four feet in width. Cover 

 the seed with Vine soil to tlu^ de])th of about half 

 an inch. The bed must be securcily netted, or 

 other means taken to ])rotect the seeds from birds. 

 Good strains of Fllam's Early and Flower of 

 S])ring are two of the best varieties for this sowing, 

 both turning in early, and are not so liable to run 

 to seed as many other varieties. 



French Beans. — Continue sowing French 

 beans at intervals until the end of the month, 

 when the last sowing should be made on a south 

 border if possible. By affording a little protec- 

 tion late in the season this cro]) often ■i)roves of 

 great value in giving a good return with very little 

 trouble. 



Asparagus Beds. — About the third week in 

 .Tune the season for asparagus is practically over. 

 If cutting is continued much after this date the 

 crowns are sure to be weakened. It is of great 

 im])ortance that some means should be taken to 

 secure the foliage, thus preventing the strong 

 shoots from being broken down by wind and rain, 

 and nothing is better for the pur])ose than short 

 pea stakes. It is the general practice to top- 

 dress asparagus with naanure in November. I am 

 of the opinion that equally good results will be 

 obtained if a mulching is given about the end of 

 .June, after the cutting is finished ; the benefit is 

 very a])parent in a dry season, as the soil is kept 

 in a more uniform condition of moisture, and 

 naturally helps to build up the crowns for the 

 svicceeding year. The beds should at all times 

 be kept clean ; this is best done by hand weeding. 



Planting and Sowing. — Continue planting out 

 cabbage, borecole and broccoli, also leeks. Blanks 

 in all crops previously planted should be made 

 good. Y'oung carrots are appreciated at all 

 seasons of the year, therefore another sowing of 

 the Short Horn type may be put in. Parsley, if 

 sown now, will be found best for supplying the 

 demand in winter and spring. 



During .July and Augvist difficulty is often 

 experienced in growing spinach, turnips and 

 various kinds of salads. To a great extent this 

 may be overcome by reserving a portion of a 

 north border for this ])urpose. 



The timely thinning of all seedlings is of great 

 importance to the future wellbeing of all crops, 

 and is best accomplished dvu-ing or immediately 

 after showery weather. 



Obituary. 



It is with profound regret that we record the 

 death of Mr. George (iordon, V.M.H., on June 

 13th, at Endsleigh, Priory Park, Kew. Mr. 

 Gordon was born at Buscot in 1841, and became 

 editor of the Gardeners' Magazine on the death of 

 Mr. Shirle Hibberd in 1890, and retired in 1913. In 

 Augvist, 1890. Mr. Gordon, with ^Nlr. Lewis Castle, 

 visited Ireland, and enquired into the state of the 

 fruit-growing industry and the ])ossibilities of 

 extending fruit culture in tlie Sister Isle. About 

 a month was sp(>nt in this investigation, and Mr. 

 Gordon presented his re])ort at the Crystal Palace 

 Conference in September. A vast amount of 

 interest was taken in the views expressed, and 

 (xovernment De])artments were led to consider the 

 suggestions made. It is not too much to state 

 that in Ireland as in England, the value of Mr. 

 Gordon's pioneer work in the interests of fruit 

 culture cannot be overestinuited. 



